Surrounded by shops, restaurants, cafes, and craft beverage manufacturers, the City of Rochester Public Market offers fruit, veggies, seafood, beef, cheese, bread, flowers, and spices while also being an excellent day trip destination. You can smell the donuts, kettle corn, and roasted nuts wherever you turn.
Convenient Parking Lot Shuttle Services
Bring along your reusable bags or mini-cart for hauling your goods back to your vehicle; take the shuttle back to your car if you can.
Fresh Produce & Culinary Delights
Suppose you can think of a visit to the Public Market as a day trip rather than a utility. In that case, you’ll have fun exploring the ins and outs of each building, go with the flow of people, and appreciate the wall art while enjoying delicious food and craft beverages.
Enjoy lunch at Restaurant Fiorella or dinner at Cure; both base their menus on local, seasonal, and sustainable ingredients, and both are among the top recommended restaurants in Rochester. Don’t miss The Pierogi Guy, The Chai Guy, The Nut Guy, The Cheese Guy, and Juan & Maria’s Empanada Stop.
Fun Public Market Events
Check the website for free special events typically offered on non-market days, including Garage Sale Days, Flower City Days, a Food Truck Rodeo, Bands on the Bricks, Bike-In Movies, and Holidays at the Market.
An Artistic Atmosphere
Around the corner, under the bridge, up above and around the perimeter, look for art showcasing Rochester’s incredible talent.
More Information about the Rochester Public Market
Cost: Free
Open all year on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 am-1 pm and Saturdays from 5 am-3 pm.
Located in the City of Rochester (get directions)
More information: cityofrochester.gov/publicmarket/
If you have a group, consider an hour-long educational tour to learn about the history of the market.
Explore More
A perfect day in Rochester would include a visit to one of its world-class museums, spending time in its exceptional parks, and seeing both High Falls and Lake Ontario.
Farms & Farmers’ Markets: Your Guide to Locally Grown Produce
Exploring local markets and roadside produce stands is a great way to immerse yourself in the community and support family farms.
Grand Adventures: 10 Rochester Skip-Gen Day Trip Ideas
This guide offers ten skip-gen day trip ideas for grandparents and grandchildren to spend quality time exploring the Rochester area together.
Street Art: Exploring Rochester’s Murals & Graffiti
Rochester has a vibrant street art culture, with dozens of murals, graffiti, and other forms of public art on display throughout the region.
60 Day Trips within 30 Minutes of Rochester
Sometimes you just need a fun, spontaneous adventure or quick getaway to refresh your day. Try one of these day trips within 30 minutes of Rochester.
What do you enjoy most about the Rochester Public Market?
I’d love to hear from you—please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.
Help Support My Work
People often ask if I get free access to the places I visit. The answer is no—unless I’m invited to a special preview or offered behind-the-scenes access through my media role. Most of the time, I don’t even mention Day Trips Around Rochester, New York when I visit a place. I want to have the same experience you would.
I create and share this content because it brings me joy—and I hope it adds value to your adventures, too.
If my work has helped you explore and appreciate the Rochester area, please consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack. You’ll receive an email whenever I publish new content and have the chance to connect with a growing community of local explorers.
Thank you for supporting my efforts to keep producing meaningful and helpful content.
Thank you!
Debi
What I ❤️ about the public market. What don’t I love I’m glad I go every chance I get even before work and I have to be to work by 7 in the morning I’m in love with this place the veggies are the fruits are the same everything is well grown and fresh and I love buying the work shoes or anything you can wear for the seasons and it’s good quality wouldn’t know what I would do if the public market never existed thank God it does cause it helps out a lot and I would recommend you to go if you never been you won’t be sorry