The Riverdale Park farmers market is a weekend institution for Cabbagetown and Riverdale residents — a small but beautifully curated selection of Ontario producers selling fresh vegetables, farm meats, artisan bread, and cut flowers on the slope of Riverdale Park with city views.
Neighbourhood: Cabbagetown / Riverdale · Address: 550 Broadview Ave, Toronto, ON · Hours: Mon–Sun 24 hours · Phone: (416) 392-2489
Why Visit
You can buy just-picked Ontario produce, ethically raised meats, and superb fresh bread directly from the folks who grow or make them. The unbeatable park setting means you’ll shop with one of the city’s best skyline views right behind you.
What Makes It Unique
Unlike larger markets, Riverdale Park’s farmers market has a relaxed, un-touristy vibe and a tight-knit group of vendors who actually remember regulars. Its hillside location overlooking downtown isn’t just scenic—it’s also a great picnic spot once you’ve shopped. You won’t find the same selection or sense of community at bigger, busier downtown markets.
If you’re in Toronto on a Sunday morning and want something that feels genuinely local, Riverdale Park Farmers Market is one of the nicest ways to spend an hour or two. It’s set up on the slope of Riverdale Park East at 550 Broadview, and the location really does make it different from other markets in the city. You’re shopping for carrots, bread, and flowers with one of the best skyline views in Toronto sitting right behind everything. It sounds almost too picturesque, but that’s exactly what it is.
This isn’t a giant market where you’ll spend all day wandering. It’s on the smaller side, which honestly is part of the appeal. The vendors are carefully chosen, and the whole thing feels edited rather than crowded. You’ll usually find Ontario growers with tables full of just-picked vegetables, herbs, and fruit when it’s in season, plus farm meats, eggs, jars of preserves, excellent baked goods, and bunches of cut flowers that make you want to go home and immediately clean your kitchen table so you have somewhere to put them. If you care about where your food comes from, or you like talking to the people who actually grew it, this is a great place for that.
The crowd is very east end: Cabbagetown parents with strollers, Riverdale regulars picking up their weekly produce, dog walkers passing through, and people who clearly treat this as part of their Sunday routine. It feels social without being showy. Kids run around on the grass, people stop to chat, and plenty of shoppers grab a coffee and turn the trip into a park hang. If you’re visiting, it gives you a real sense of how locals actually spend their weekends.
Go in the morning if you can. Sunday is the time to come, especially before late morning when the best bread and popular produce can start to thin out. Bring a tote bag, and if you think you might buy more than a loaf and a few tomatoes, bring two. Some vendors sell out of the really good stuff early, especially in peak summer and early fall. If you’re someone who likes first pick of peaches, heirloom tomatoes, or salad greens that still look dewy, don’t show up too late.
The nice thing is that even if you’re not planning a full grocery run, it’s still worth it. You can pick up a pastry, some fruit, or a bunch of flowers and just enjoy being there. Afterward, you can wander through Riverdale Park, sit on the hill for a while, or head into Cabbagetown for brunch. Broadview Station is the easiest subway stop, and from there it’s a straightforward walk.
Technically the park is always open, but the market itself is really a Sunday morning thing, not an all-day attraction. It’s free to visit, family-friendly, and one of those places I’d recommend if you want Toronto to feel less like a checklist and more like a city people actually live in. That skyline view alone is reason enough to come back, but the quality of the vendors is what makes it part of people’s routine.