When is the Tyler farmers market open?

The Rose City Farmers Market meets Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon in front of ETX Brewing at 221 S. Broadway Ave. in downtown Tyler. The season runs from April into November. Check the market's Facebook or Instagram (rosecityfarmersmarket) for this year's dates.

Where can I pick my own blueberries in East Texas?

KLTV's 2025 list of u-pick farms included Blueberry Hill Farm in Edom, Blueberry Ridge Farm in Mineola, Echo Springs Blueberry Farm in Murchison, Lake Creek Blueberry Farm in Montalba, Greer Farm in Daingerfield, Alford Family Farm in Emory, and Panola Orchard and Gardens in De Berry. Call ahead, since the season depends on the weather.

Can I use SNAP or WIC at the Tyler farmers market?

Local coverage says yes. EGuide Magazine (2023) reported that shoppers at Tyler's Rose City Farmers Market can use EBT/SNAP and WIC. Tyler Junior College's student paper, The DrumBeat (2022), reported that card users can buy tokens at the welcome table. Policies at other markets and farm stands vary, so ask before you go.

When is Jacksonville's Tomato Fest?

Tomato Fest is a June festival put on by the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce in downtown Jacksonville. The chamber's site is counting down to the 43rd annual festival in 2027, so check there for the date.

East Texas Guide

Your Guide to East Texas Farmers Markets and Local Produce

East Texas Online · Updated October 2026 · Fact-checked October 1, 2026

Where do you find good tomatoes around here? Not the pale ones from the grocery store, but the kind that smell like summer before you bite in. East Texas has Saturday markets, berry farms that let you pick your own, and a town that calls itself the tomato capital of the world. The trick is knowing when and where to show up. Every market and farm below comes from a published source. Schedules change from year to year, so check with the market or farm before you drive.

The Markets Worth Building Your Saturday Around

Tyler's Rose City Farmers Market sets up on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon, rain or shine. It meets in front of ETX Brewing at 221 S. Broadway Ave. in downtown Tyler and runs from April into November. Local coverage describes it as a market where you buy from the farmer, rancher or producer who grew or made the goods. Vendors have included produce and herbs, pasture-raised meats, eggs, goat cheese, cut flowers, breads and pastries, jams and granola, plus live music. EGuide Magazine (2023) noted free parking at the Fair Plaza Garage.

In Smith County, Whitehouse has a Saturday market of its own. It sets up at 109 E. Main St., across from CVS, from 9 a.m. to noon. In 2023, KETK reported that the market ran through the end of July, took August off, then started back up in the fall. Back then it had grown from six vendors in its first year to about 30 to 40 a week, selling produce, artisan goods, mugs and shirts.

Jacksonville calls itself the tomato capital of the world. Each June, the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce throws Tomato Fest, which KLTV described as five blocks of food and festivities along Commerce Street downtown. As of this writing, the chamber is counting down to the 43rd annual Tomato Fest in 2027. Check the chamber's site for the date.

To find other markets, use the Texas Department of Agriculture's search tool and map of certified farmers markets.

U-Pick Berry Farms

Blueberries and blackberries are the big pick-your-own crops in East Texas. In June 2025, KLTV published a list of u-pick farms around the region. The list included Blueberry Hill Farm in Edom (blueberries and blackberries through mid-July), Blueberry Ridge Farm in Mineola, Echo Springs Blueberry Farm in Murchison, and Lake Creek Blueberry Farm in Montalba. It also listed Alford Family Farm in Emory (strawberries, blueberries and blackberries from April through at least June), Greer Farm in Daingerfield, Panola Orchard and Gardens in De Berry, Merket Farm in Beckville, and Moss Springs Berry Farm in New Boston. For peaches, the list included The Peach Orchard at Lake Fork in Yantis, which also grows blackberries and plums. Crops depend on the weather, so call or check the farm's page before you go.

Blueberries get their own party in Nacogdoches. The Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce puts on the Texas Blueberry Festival to celebrate the harvest. The 2026 festival, the 36th, was held on June 13.