Soulard Farmers Market

Outside the Farmer's Market

A few of the yummy stands...

           Maybe it's because I love history and I am really a nerd at heart, or maybe I just love fresh produce and funky neighborhoods, but whatever the case may be, perhaps my favorite place so far in St. Louis is the Soulard Farmer's market. Now for a little history lesson, the Soulard Farmer's market is the oldest farmer's market west of the Mississippi. It began in 1779 (that's before the Louisiana purchase, when France still owned the land!) The owners of the plot of land were the Soulards and they set aside an area for farmers to come and sell their produce. After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 things got a little hairy with the ownership of the land but eventually the Soulard's were able to set aside 2 blocks that were to be used exclusively as a farmer's market, which is what they still are used for today. This market is open year-round from Wednesday to Saturday and things are unbelievably cheap there. Today, for example, I bought lettuce, 2 tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries, 4 huge peaches, jalapenos, onion, limes, and 2 avocados for a grand total of $14!!! When you are trying to conserve money you can't get much better than that! The neighborhood is also just really cool. Obviously it was originally a French neighborhood which is evident in the architecture and beautiful buildings and churches. There are also cool restaurant,  pubs, and even a cute gift-shop, reminiscent but far from my beloved plainjane's! We are excited that this neighborhood celebrates Mardi Gras each year with a parade. We will definitely be attending and hope it will be every bit as exhilarating as the Mardi Gras celebrations in Mobile, Alabama where we have celebrated the past two years. All-in-all Soulard is a great neighborhood with cool shops, restaurants, and history. I am so glad we found the nearby farmer's market in our first week here!