Must-Visit Carmel Farmer’s Market Vendors

Summer is here, and there’s a spring in everyone’s step. Songbirds are in the air, and the sun is out shining, the Monon Trail has come alive with walkers, bikers, and runners, all embracing warmer temperatures in Carmel. And with that, comes one of Carmel’s most-awaited seasons: Farmer’s Market Season.

Located in an open lot in front of Carmel’s performance venue, the Palladium, and conveniently accessible off the Monon Trail, this year’s market brings 70 Hoosier vendors together. In front of live music, they take to the lawns every Saturday from 9a.m. to 12a.m. beginning on May 3rd, and be warned: the crowds will come.

So instead of leaving you befuddled as to where to look, we’ve highlighted ten must-visit businesses at this year’s market. Oh, and come hungry — there’s lots of local grub to try:

Aahaa Chai

Whether you’re a chai enthusiast or a recent convert to this spice-laden beverage, a sip of chai can make you feel like home. At least, that’s what it did for Aahaa Chai owner Raji Muthukrishnan when she moved from her hometown of Ambasamudram, India to America as a clinical research scientist.

She’s traded lab coats for an apron and, a decade later, is still frequenting the farmer’s markets throughout Indiana, introducing customers to the cinnamon-laden, clove-infused beverage she calls ‘home.’ Make sure you try her Bold Masala Chai to get the true Indian experience. If you’re looking for something a bit more seasonally-appropriate, she even offers an iced, Rose-infused blend, as well as a Lavender Vanilla chai that sings of summer.

The Live Project

As temperatures ramp up in Indiana this summer, so does your thirst, and walking around Carmel’s Palladium grounds without a beverage in-hand will leave you parched. Luckily, the market has a solution for that: a cup of juice created by The Live Project.

A venture founded by owner James Long as an effort to get his diabetes under control, the juices aim to help people live healthy today in order to be around as long as possible. There’s a green juice for veggie lovers and an iced tea that screams of Southern charm, but we can never pass up the Strawberry Kiwi Lemonade that gets its zing! from a hint of ginger and immune-boosting turmeric.

Ash & Elm Cider Company

When Ash & Elm opened its Carmel storefront last year, fans were thrilled: after all, pub-grub eats and ciders on tap haven’t had a better fan base than what their Indianapolis location enjoys. But if you don’t have time to swing by their storefront, there’s no better place to try out their seasonal sips than at the Carmel Farmer’s Market.

Sold as individual ciders or in 4-packs to take home, owners Aaron and Andréa Homoya provide samples on-site. You can sip on your cider as you walk through the market — it even pairs wonderfully with the bites you’ll be snacking on, along with many of the meals the market offers — or, bring an insulated cooler bag and take it home to your friends and family. Perhaps it’ll turn your weekend soirées into buzzy board game nights for summers to come. 

Indie Coffee Roasters

Not all of us are early birds, especially on those lazy, lounging Saturdays, with the sunshine beaming into your bedroom. But if your weekend plans involve a visit to the Carmel Farmer’s Market, you might have to become one. Parking fills up fast, and vendors sell-out early. 

If that means you need a cup of caffeine to get you through it, look no further than Indie Coffee Roasters. Back for its eighth year at the Carmel Farmers Market, Indie Coffee Roasters’ brews are unapologetically strong and with over a decade in the coffee business, they know what they’re doing. Pro tip: their iced cold brew pairs beautifully with pastries from Circle City Sweets, just across the way.

3 in 1 Restaurant

The Carmel Farmer’s Market is ready to fuel your market-hopping Saturdays with 3 in 1 Restaurant, located on 86th street. While the market stall doesn’t quite offer everything on their vegan-friendly Mexican and Salavadorean restaurant menu, the stall is known for their pupusas that are stuffed to the brim with beans and cheese, as well as some other flavor bombs. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch them before they sell out of their fare, but we highly recommend getting there early. After all, what’s a better way to kick off your Saturday than with a steaming, savory pupusa?

Eat Surreal

When owner Brittany Baxter whipped up Eat Surreal’s Amazeball spread, an entirely plant-based, highly addictive alternative to commercial cream cheese, she probably had no idea that she had landed on a runaway hit. Whether you’re an allergy-free household or simply trying to diversify your palate, Eat Surreal will leave you, well, amazed. 

We recommend sampling all of their spreads when you hit the market. You’ll find some that you like more than others, but personally, we couldn’t get enough of their Amazeball Pizza spread that tastes like a slice of New York’s finest on a spoon or their Spicy Pimento spread that’s secretly healthy. Grab a few tubs for your next cheese board — you won’t regret it.

Groomsville Popcorn

Groomsville Popcorn might look familiar to you if you visit this year’s market. Hailing from Tipton, IN, they look like they belong at the State Fair, with bags brimming with Indiana’s finest kettle corn. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and salty and draws its natural sweetness from corn grown on Indiana soil for over 100 years. Be warned though: take a taste, and you may never stop munching. It’s that good. 

My Dad’s Sweet Corn

Speaking of corn, the market is about to become your weekly stop and shop for fresh corn this summer. Sure, you can buy ears of it at your nearest grocery store, but if you’re looking for the sweetest, most succulent corn-on-the-cob to take to your family barbecue this Memorial Day, well, you’ve found it. 

The secret might be the Tipton soil, for this business, too, hails from Tipton. Owner and operated by the Allen Baird family, the family even shares some corn-tastic recipes to best showcase their corn. Of course, if you’re like us, you’ll eat it straight off the cob: topped with a little butter and salt, nothing’s better on a sultry Indiana summer night. 

Muncie Mushrooms

The Carmel Farmer’s Market defies all natural conventions of a farmer’s market. It’s laden with sips, spices, seasonings, and sweets; it plays host to a myriad of restaurants; and it doesn’t only offer fresh produce, unlike markets on the West Coast whose sole purpose it is to stock customers’ fridges with fruits and veggies for the week to come.

That being said, there’s a hefty dose of produce around — take a gander around the market and it’s hard to miss Stuart Ozbun’s Muncie Mushrooms. They’re colorful and eye-catching, and if you’re like us, they might introduce you to mushrooms you’ve never heard of before. These are real-deal fungi: vegetal and funky, they’re foraged exclusively for the market and have everything from lion’s mane to pink oysters.

Walking Waffle Company 

Enter the market from Carmel’s Palladium, and you’ll be met with a huge line. Often 20 to 30 people long, wrapping around the stall, adults and kids alike are lined up for what promises to be a sinfully-sweet and truly scintillating experience: their weekly liege waffle. 

For those uninitiated, a liege waffle is much smaller, much denser, and much heftier than its Belgian counterpart. Studded with pearl sugar, Walking Waffle sells theirs in a variety of ways: naked, topped with fruits, slathered in Nutella, smothered in whipped cream. 

Mark and Stephanie Lewis first encountered their first liege waffle in Cincinnati and well, all we can say is boy, are we glad they brought it to the confines of Carmel. But be ready to work for it: lines are long, even when it’s hot. One bite, though, and you’ll know what we’ve said all along: it’s truly worth it.