Heirloom Farmers Markets | Rillito Park
Located along the Rillito Park Loop trail, this year-round market features produce, prepared foods, and local crafts.
About Heirloom Farmers Markets | Rillito Park
Heirloom Farmers Markets is a Southern Arizona 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating five farmers markets, including its Rillito Park market in Tucson. Located along the Rillito Park Loop trail, the year-round market brings together produce, prepared foods, and local crafts. The Rillito Park market is held on Sundays, giving Tucson shoppers a regular place to find food and goods from local farmers, producers, food vendors, and artisans.
The organization's mission is to connect, educate, and empower the community in support of a vibrant food system and local food producers and proprietors. Heirloom Farmers Markets traces its beginnings to 1998, when it began promoting local food, supporting farmers and producers, and working to build a resilient food system. Today, the markets serve more than 10,000 customers each week and provide a marketplace for more than 40 participating farms and over 250 local small businesses.
At Rillito Park, seasonal produce is central to the market experience. The organization's list of fresh offerings includes apricots, beets, cabbage, cantaloupe, carrots, cucumbers, garlic, herbs, leafy greens, mushrooms, onions, peaches, peppers, pistachios, squash, tomatoes, watermelon, and zucchini, among other fruits and vegetables. The selection reflects the changing growing seasons in Southern Arizona, with the market also sharing recipes and resources that help turn market ingredients into meals.
Prepared foods and artisan goods add to the range of offerings. Heirloom Farmers Markets maintains separate information for food vendors and artisan goods, while its recipes include dishes such as roasted beet and farro salad, peach crumble, farmers market frittata, calabacitas, nopalitos salad, and roasted beet grilled cheese with lavender honey. The organization also offers food programs and community initiatives, including SNAP and EBT access, Double Up Food Bucks, the Farmers Market Nutrition Program, Nourish Your Neighbors, Taste of the Market, Heirloom Kids, and a Market Ambassador program.
Rillito Park is one of five Heirloom Farmers Markets locations in the region. The others are Green Valley Village in Green Valley, Morris K. Udall Park in Tucson, Steam Pump Ranch in Oro Valley, and Rincon Valley in Vail. Together, the markets connect Southern Arizona residents with local farms, small businesses, and community food programs. Heirloom Farmers Markets also provides ways for vendors, volunteers, sponsors, and nonprofit organizations to get involved.
Visitors can browse the market's current vendors and market information through the organization's website, and market tokens are available as part of its shopping resources. SNAP and EBT, Double Up Food Bucks, and the Farmers Market Nutrition Program are accepted at all markets according to the organization. Rillito Park does not allow pets, a policy noted by Heirloom Farmers Markets. The market's management, board, sponsors, farmers, vendors, and community supporters all contribute to its ongoing work in Tucson and across Southern Arizona.