Saturday hours, the 2026 season, where the stalls set up, what the producer-only vendors sell and what to do downtown afterward.
Saturday mornings in downtown Waukesha start by the Fox River, where farmers and bakers set up from 8 am to noon. The Waukesha Farmers Market ran every Saturday from May 2 to October 31 in 2026, at 125 West Saint Paul Avenue, and it costs nothing to walk in. Travel Wisconsin counts more than 70 vendors a week, all selling food or goods grown, raised or made in Wisconsin.
Season and hours
The market runs on Saturdays only, from 8 am to noon. The 2026 season opened on May 2 and closed on October 31, which matches the pattern the downtown business association describes: the first week of May to the last week of October, rain or shine.
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On summer Fridays, the downtown event is Friday Night Live, the evening before market day. The 2027 dates should come from the Waukesha Downtown Business Association, which manages the market, so watch its announcements in early spring before planning a May visit.
Where it sets up
The market sits on the Waukesha State Bank employee lot along the Fox River, at 125 West Saint Paul Avenue, a short walk from Main Street.
Downtown is walkable from the lot, so park once and do the market, the river and Main Street on foot. The Waukesha County Museum points visitors to street parking on Main Street, East Avenue and Martin Street, and to the city's Barstow lot, which also work for the market.
What the vendors sell
The market is producer-only, so the person behind the table grew, raised or made what is on it. Travel Wisconsin lists produce, meats, cheeses, honey, jams, baked goods and crafts among the goods on sale.
What is on the tables follows the Wisconsin growing season, so the mix in May looks different from the mix in September.
Bring a cooler bag if you are buying meat or cheese and have other stops downtown afterward. Carry some cash for smaller stalls.
Who runs it
The Waukesha Downtown Business Association has managed the market since the summer of 2023, according to Lake Country Family Fun. The same source says the market has served as a community market for more than 25 years.
The association also runs Friday Night Live on Main Street, so the two events share a phone line and a downtown focus. The downtown association's site adds that the market has live music.
After the market
Main Street is a few minutes' walk from the lot.
Saturday hours at the museum run to 4 pm, which leaves time for the museum's Les Paul and spring-water galleries after the market closes.
Closer to the market, the Almont Gallery shop and gallery on West Main Street shows work by 18 artists and sells jewelry and clothing. The Friday Night Live stretch of Main Street starts about 0.2 miles from the market, so a Friday evening downtown and a Saturday market make an easy weekend pair.
If you want a beer after shopping, Raised Grain Brewing Co. is about 1.9 miles east on Dolphin Drive and serves cheese curds and burgers with its own beer.
A Saturday in Waukesha, hour by hour
Start at the market at 8 am, when the stalls open. At 10 am the Waukesha County Museum opens its doors on Main Street, about 0.4 miles east, and it stays open until 4 pm on Saturdays. After lunch, drive about 4 miles west to Retzer Nature Center, whose office is open on Saturdays from 10 am to 3 pm and whose trails stay open until 10 pm.
In winter the downtown Saturday market is closed, so swap it for a planetarium show at Retzer or an indoor game at one of the town's pickleball clubs. From June to August, arrive the evening before for Friday Night Live, which runs from 6:30 to 9 pm on the downtown stages.
Winter markets
Lake Country Family Fun says the Waukesha Winter Farmers' Market is a separate market not run by the downtown business association. Look for a current announcement before you go.
More Waukesha
The market fits into a full day out in Waukesha, from Retzer Nature Center's free trails to the county fair in July.
Frequently asked questions
Published October 26, 2026
