Goochland County Farmers Market wins national parks and recreation award

Goochland County’s farmers market has turned a Tuesday afternoon stop at 1889 Sandy Hook Road into a nationally recognized public program, earning the 2026 National Association of County Parks and Recreation Officials Award in the Park & Recreation Program - Class 1 category. For a rural county that has tried to pair public recreation with practical services, the award puts food access, small-business opportunity and local identity at the center of the story.

The market is set to reopen for the 2026 season on May 5 and will run Tuesdays through September 29 from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Goochland Fairgrounds near the county courthouse off Route 522. Owned and operated by the Goochland County Parks & Recreation Department, the market brings together farm-fresh seasonal produce, grass-fed poultry, beef, pork and lamb, fruits and berries, honey, baked goods, artisan crafts, weekly food trucks and live music.

The market’s role goes beyond a weekly place to shop. It accepts SNAP EBT and participates in Virginia Fresh Match during the season, which gives families using food benefits a direct way to buy local produce and protein. Community tables also give nonprofit groups and local projects a visible place to share information and services, turning the market into one of the county’s few recurring public spaces where shopping, civic information and social contact happen in the same place.

County officials have tied the market to a broader strategy that blends agriculture, tourism and economic development. Goochland County said the market was created in coordination with Powhatan County through a partnership involving county administrators, parks and recreation directors and finance departments. The county’s own planning materials also show how that fits into a larger recreation system that includes 10 sites, 347 acres of public parkland and more than 13 miles of trails.

The award itself underscores how the county views the market, not as a one-off event, but as a continuing service with measurable reach. NACPRO’s Class 1 designation covers localities under 200,000 residents, and its 2026 awards presentation will be held May 20 in Sarasota, Florida. Market listings put this season at about 35 vendors across 22 Tuesday events, a scale that shows the market has become both a sales outlet for growers and makers and a dependable gathering place for Goochland families.