Kootenai County farmers’ market opens for weekend shoppers

Fresh produce, baked goods and handmade items returned to Prairie Avenue and Riverstone as Kootenai County Farmers’ Markets opened its 2026 season, giving local growers, bakers and makers another direct-sales outlet. The market says this year also marks 40 years of serving Kootenai County.

Kootenai County Farmers’ Markets says it has served the area since 1986 and describes itself as a true farmers market, where everything sold is produced or grown by the vendor. That setup makes the market more than a place to browse. It is a seasonal income channel for small farms, home bakers and craft vendors who depend on weekend and midweek foot traffic to move inventory while it is fresh.

The opening day schedule puts the Saturday market at Prairie Avenue and Highway 95 in the Hayden area, with hours from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The Riverstone market runs Wednesdays at Beebe Blvd and Main St in Coeur d’Alene from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The 2026 calendar lists Opening Day Prairie on May 2 and Opening Day Riverstone on May 6, giving shoppers two regular stops for seasonal produce and other locally made goods.

The season calendar also maps out several other dates that tend to draw repeat customers. Hometown Heroes Day is set for May 27. Bike to Market Month lands on Wednesdays in May. Strawberry Days are scheduled for June 20 and June 24, and an Independence Day Celebration is listed for July 4. Those dates turn the market into a steady weekly destination rather than a one-off event, with enough structure for vendors to plan what they bring and when.

For Kootenai County households, the market’s value is in selection and direct access. Because the goods come from the people selling them, shoppers are buying what area producers actually make or grow, from farm produce to prepared foods and handmade items. For vendors, that direct connection can mean a stronger share of each sale stays with the business behind the table, helping sustain small-scale agriculture and local entrepreneurship through the summer season.