Visiting Detroit’s Eastern Market and Beyond
Detroit's Eastern Market is a vibrant and bustling neighborhood located just northeast of downtown Detroit. The historic market has been a hub for food and commerce for over a century and has grown to become one of the largest and most diverse public markets in the United States.
Visiting the Eastern Market and its surrounding areas offers a unique experience that blends history, culture, and cuisine. The district is home to over 150 businesses, including farmers, specialty food vendors, artisans, and local retailers.
Detroit's Eastern Market
Heading to Eastern Market is a Saturday morning bucket list activity everyone should experience. Rain or shine, the six-block public market is always hopping with those searching for fresh produce, flowers, baked goods, and more.
Once, we saw someone trying to find a home for some kittens, and our weirdest find was ‘organic' firewood. Organic firewood!?!? I thought all firewood was an organic…clever ploy for gaining sales from those in the organic craze.
Detroit's Eastern Market Parking
For the best parking, consider arriving before 8 am. By 9:30 am, parking becomes a challenge. There are many free lots at the market's north end – try Wilkins Street & Riopelle Street or Watson Street & Russell Street .
The Market address is: 2934 Russell St, Detroit, MI 48207. There is parking on the south end of the market also, but we've always had the best luck at the north end.
Tip: Avoid parking within 20 feet of a hydrant, stop sign, or crosswalk unless you want to risk a $45 ticket from the City of Detroit Parking Enforcement.
When to Visit Detroit's Eastern Market and why
Plan to visit on a Saturday morning/afternoon. The market is open year round on Saturday's between 6:30 am-4 pm. The market is open other days, but Saturday is the biggest day.
Eastern Market has been a community staple since 1891 and has recently been named one of the top three markets in the US. Many upgrades have been made to the sheds and program offerings.
Tip: Bring a reusable bag or two to tote your goods. Planning to buy a lot? Consider bringing a hand cart. Most places offer plastic bags for you to carry the product.
Summer Tuesday Markets feature Cooking Classes, Yoga, and Zumba Classes. Once a month, there are also Tuesday Evening Market opportunities. Sunday's serve as non-food items day at the market – you'll find home goods, art, jewelry, antiques, vintage clothing, and furniture.
There are also other special events: Lions Gameday Tailgating, Flower Day, Foodie Fairs, Holiday Markets, etc.
Tip: Visit the Eastern Market website for the latest and greatest on what is happening at the market: https://easternmarket.org/
Beyond Detroit's Eastern Market
The surrounding area is loaded with unique places that offer a wide range of goods.
Rocky's
Rocky’s has been around since 1969 and is a popular bulk food store. They carry a large variety of spices, nuts, dried fruit, and candy, among other things – like Made in Michigan items.
Vivio's
Vivio's is a popular eatery that always has a line out the door. They are mostly known for having a great selection of Bloody Marys and amazing mussels. No worries if you are not a fan of Bloody Mary's or mussles, the menu has many other options, and the taste is excellent.
Germack
If you are a coffee lover, you may want to check out Germack, which has a coffee shop, but the company started as a pistachio company. They are the oldest roaster of pistachio nuts in the US. Germack currently roasts nuts, seeds, and coffees in-house. They also offer dried fruits and chocolates.
DeVries & Co.
Cheese, please! If you are a cheese lover, you will probably want to check out DeVries & Co. The establishment has been around since 1887 and carries a large selection of cheeses and meats. I just took a peek at their website, and there are currently 13 pages of cheese to select from!
Gratiot Central Meat Market and Wigley’s Retail Meat Counter
Crossing the I-94 pedestrian bridge will take you to a large selection of meat and seafood at the Gratiot Central Meat Market and Wigley’s Retail Meat Counter. Often the bridge has people selling miscellaneous items – clothing, purses, sunglasses, incense, art, etc.
Some other ideas…
I’ve just touched a few places around Eastern Market; there are many more locations to visit – the Detroit City Distillery and the Milano Bakery & Café, to name a few more.
Tip: If you are interested in art, you may want to consider taking part in a mural walk. There are over 125 murals in the area around the market! Murals in the Market organizes the event; check out their website https://www.muralsinthemarket.com/ to find out the tour dates.
Dequindre Cut Greenway to the Detroit River
The Dequindre Cut Greenway path is located very close to Eastern Market. The trail is only about 2-miles long, and if you head south from Eastern Market, it will take you to the William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor. There is a lighthouse and an outdoor adventure center.
Leaving the park and walking west, you will be on the Detroit Riverwalk, which extends to the Joe Louis Arena. There are many well-known places to stop along or near the Riverfront – the Spirit of Detroit, the Monument to Joe Louis (the fist), Renaissance Center, and Hart Plaza.
