La Grande farmers market adds Kids Day, pie festival to summer lineup

The market’s 2026 season runs from May 9 through Oct. 17, giving Union County residents a long stretch to plan around the downtown stop. Tuesday afternoons fit after-work errands, while Saturday mornings offer a weekend market window before heading out of town or on to the rest of the day. Both markets are held at Max Square on the corner of 4th and Adams, a city plaza with seating and a lighted stage that also hosts community celebrations and musical events.

The market says it has been part of downtown La Grande for more than 40 years, dating to 1980, when Sally Snyder and Sandy Roth started it in a vacant lot at the northwest corner of North Fir Street and Monroe Avenue. What began as a small local sale has become a regular summer fixture built around fresh local produce, artisan goods and community connection in Eastern Oregon.

That local role is economic as much as social. The market says its mission is to enhance the economic sustainability of regional farms by providing a venue for quality locally grown goods while creating a vibrant gathering place. Its board includes market customers, business professionals, vendors, food policy advocates and craftsmen, a mix that reflects how deeply the market is tied to the downtown and agricultural economy.

For shoppers watching household costs, the market’s Double Up Food Bucks program stretches SNAP dollars spent at the market, helping lower-income families buy more fresh fruits and vegetables. That makes the market more than a weekend outing. It is one of the few places in Union County where a grocery trip can also send money directly to regional growers.