Nashville Farmer's Market

The Nashville Farmer’s Market is a cool spot to catch a meal, listen to live music, and shop for local produce and other goods. The year-round market also offers a food court with a wide diversity of food options including a culinary incubation center—a space for new restaurateurs to develop their business. Believe it or not, the Nashville Farmer’s Market is more than 200 years old; the first “market-house” was completed in 1802. At that time, Nashville was an important river port and part of the western frontier. It was a place where major commodities were bought and sold, and yes that included enslaved persons brought here from North Carolina and Virginia. 

The market’s location on Rosa Parks Boulevard is also a reminder of the important role of women in the Civil Rights movement. Here in Nashville, it was Diane Nash who confronted Mayor Ben West on the steps of Public Square in April 1961, less than a mile from here. After the bombing of Civil Rights’ attorney Z. Alexander Looby’s home, an estimated 3,000 people walked in silence from Tennessee State University to Public Square. Diane Nash asked the mayor: “Do you feel it is wrong to discriminate against a person solely on the basis of their race or color?” He agreed it was wrong, and Nash continued, “Do you mean that to include lunch counters?” The mayor said, “yes,” and the marchers erupted in cheers. Three weeks later, Nashville became the first southern city to desegregate lunch counters on May 10, 1961. Scroll through the images above to learn more.

We have several walking and driving tours you can take to learn more about Nashville’s complicated history as related to slavery and the subsequent—and continuing—struggle for equal rights. A few of these include Early Black Life and Culture, New South Nashville, Early History, and Civil Rights Sit-Ins. You should also visit the Tennessee State Museum, which is free and next door.

Fun Fact: In 2019, Carlos Partee and Javvon Jones founded the Nashville Black Market, which is hosted here on weekends. This entrepreneurial venture represents one of the biggest and most successful continuous expressions of Black culture in Nashville. Check out the Farmer’s Market webpage and calendar for more information.

Now we’ll head to Mary’s Old Fashioned Pit Bar-B-Que, 1106 Jefferson Street. From the Farmer’s Market parking lot, exit and turn RIGHT onto Rosa Parks Boulevard. Turn LEFT onto Jefferson Street at the first stoplight. Continue straight for a quarter of a mile until you see Mary’s BBQ on your right. Park in the lot in front of the building.