Kootenai County farmers markets open 40th season with free parking, live music

Residents who want the first crack at the 2026 season can head to Hayden on Saturday, May 2, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., then back to Riverstone on Wednesday, May 6, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The Kootenai County Farmers’ Markets are marking 40 years as a local business engine, moving fresh produce, meats, cheeses, bread, honey, jams, flowers and handcrafted goods from North Idaho growers and artisans straight to shoppers.

The opening weekend is built for easy trips and family outings. Admission is free, parking is free, and the Hayden site at Highway 95 and Prairie Avenue has on-site parking plus additional spaces at Grace Bible Church nearby. Dogs are not allowed at the Saturday market grounds, a detail worth knowing before heading out with kids, strollers and a grocery list.

Live music will help set the tone. Carl Rantzow is scheduled in Hayden, while Steve Schlough will play at the first Riverstone market. Families will also find free face painting and a balloon artist for children, part of a market setup that blends shopping with a community outing.

The markets say they have served North Idaho since 1986, and the scale has grown with the region. More than 100 producers and artisans now sell across the two markets from May through October, giving local shoppers a direct route to food dollars that stay closer to home. SNAP/EBT is accepted on eligible food items, and the market doubles the first $10 spent on fresh produce and food-bearing plants through its nutrition access program.

That affordability matters as grocery costs remain a pressure point for households. The market’s product mix, vegetables, native and flower plants, local meats, cheeses, bread, honey and jams, offers a one-stop way to support nearby farms and small food businesses while stretching a weekly food budget. The 2026 calendar also gives regulars a lineup to watch for, including Hometown Heroes Day on May 27, Strawberry Days on June 20 and 24, Independence Day Celebration on July 4, Huckleberry Days on July 25 and 29, National Farmers Market Week Aug. 2-8, Pickle Days on Aug. 22 and 26, Fall Fest on Sept. 26, Customer Appreciation on Oct. 17, Last Hayden Market on Oct. 24 and Harvest Fest on Oct. 31.

The markets’ staying power reaches back to those first days on Sherman Avenue in downtown Coeur d’Alene, when 25 vendors sold from the backs of trucks in 1986. By the next year, eight farmers were selling from a vacant lot by the jail. Today, the Wednesday market’s home at Main Street in the Village at Riverstone, where it moved in 2023, keeps that midweek tradition anchored in a new part of town without losing the local identity that built it.