Boscov's Fairgrounds Farmers Market is an indoor, year-round public market located at 2934 N 5th Street Hwy in Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania. The market brings together roughly 65 independent stands under a single roof, nearly all of them family owned and operated. Shoppers can buy raw ingredients such as produce, meat, poultry, eggs, seafood and dairy, or sit down to a prepared meal from one of the market's many kitchens. The mix also includes bakeries, coffee roasters, specialty food purveyors, a florist and gift shop, and stands selling jewelry, collectibles and antiques.
The market was voted Best Farmers Market in Berks County in the 2019 Readers Choice Awards. It can be reached by phone at +1 610-929-3429.
A Market Built on Family Businesses
What distinguishes Fairgrounds Farmers Market from a conventional grocery store is the makeup of its tenant list. Many of the stands have been operated by the same families for generations, and several trace their roots back more than a century. Leininger's Quality Meats has served Berks County since 1888. Wegman Sons Poultry has been family owned since 1916 and is now run by the fourth generation. Paul L. Keagy Produce has held a spot at the market for more than 70 years, and Weisser's Delicatessen has been family owned for over 60 years.
That continuity means customers often deal directly with owners and long-time staff rather than rotating shift employees, and it shapes the character of the place: butchers who cut to order, produce sellers who know which Pennsylvania farms their crops came from, and bakers working from recipes that predate the current generation behind the counter.
Produce, Meat, Poultry and Seafood
The market's fresh departments cover most of what a household would need for weekly shopping:
- Produce: Farm fresh fruits and vegetables from Pennsylvania growers are sold by Hoober Produce, Country Lane Produce and Paul L. Keagy Produce, among others.
- Meats: Butcher counters include Leininger's Quality Meats, Lorah Family Meats, Rothenberger's Meats, Scrimager Family Meats and Smoketown Meats, all family run.
- Poultry and eggs: Wegman Sons Poultry, Penn Dutch Poultry, Lorah Family Poultry and Sammy's Poultry carry fresh Lancaster County poultry and eggs.
- Seafood: Adelphia Seafood, Go Fish and J & F Seafood & Catering offer fresh fish along with specialty items such as crab cakes, clams, oysters and lobsters. J & F also handles full service catering and operates a banquet hall.
- Dairy and juice: K & L Dairy has sold fresh milk, drinks and ice cream at the market since 1999, including fresh squeezed options. Stark Juice produces raw, cold-pressed juice from locally sourced fruits and vegetables.
Deli, Prepared Foods and Baked Goods
Several stands focus on foods that are ready to heat or serve. Weisser's Delicatessen sells quality meats, salads and prepared items, and Salino's Imports carries imported specialty groceries. Country View Kitchen specializes in organic prepared foods, while Spring Glen Fresh Foods and Fisher's Homestyle Markets round out the selection of salads, sides and entrees sold by weight.
On the baking side, Dutch Maid Bakery has been family owned for more than 30 years and produces scratch-made breads and pastries. Sunnyside Pastries and the French & Italian Pastry Shop add cakes, cookies and European-style desserts. Two stands, Foltz's and Stoltzfus Soft Pretzels, make hand rolled soft pretzels, a Pennsylvania market staple.
Eat In or Take Out
The prepared food section functions much like a food hall, with an unusually broad range of cuisines for a single building. Current kitchens include Sizzling Island for Caribbean dishes, Jambalaya J's Dixie Kitchen for New Orleans and Southern cooking, Vietnamese Delights, San's Asian Food, Mediterranean Medley, Johnny's Pizza, Country BBQ Corner for ribs and brisket, and Matt's Coney Island for burgers and hot dogs. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all available depending on market hours, and orders can be eaten on site or taken home.
Specialty Foods, Beverages and Gifts
Beyond groceries and meals, the market houses a number of smaller specialty operations. Calvaresi Coffee, Tea & Etc., established in 2002, sells coffee and tea by the cup and by the bag. Garden Infuzions produces all-natural herb-infused olive oils. Hillbilly Hooch carries moonshine, Chatty Monks offers craft beer along with Indian-fusion food, and Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery maintains a stand for Pennsylvania wines.
Non-food merchants include Forever Friends Flowering Cupboard, which serves as the market's gift shop and lets customers assemble their own flower arrangements, and Unique Finds, which stocks rocks, gems, crystals, jewelry and collectibles. Additional antique and jewelry stands are scattered throughout the building.
Practical Information for Visitors
The market is open year-round rather than seasonally, which makes it a consistent source for fresh food through the winter months. Free on-site parking is available, and the market emphasizes that parking is easy and does not require a permit, meter or shuttle.
Each week the market publishes a Weekly Specials flyer as a downloadable PDF, collecting deals and discounts from individual merchants. Regular shoppers often check the flyer before visiting to see which stands are running promotions on meat, produce or prepared foods. Because merchants set their own prices and hours within the market schedule, calling ahead is useful for large or custom orders, particularly for holiday meats, poultry and catering.
Events and Community Role
Market merchants host family events, cooking classes and product demonstrations throughout the year, with programming that changes by season. These events are geared toward a range of ages and typically highlight the work of the vendors themselves, from butchery techniques to baking and beverage tastings.
The market also functions as a small business incubator of sorts within Berks County. Prospective vendors can submit an inquiry form to ask about availability of open stands, and the tenant roster has grown over time to include newer operations alongside the century-old family businesses.
Location and Service Area
Situated on North 5th Street Highway in Muhlenberg Township just north of the city of Reading, the market draws shoppers from across Berks County and neighboring areas, including Laureldale, Temple, Leesport, Wyomissing, Shillington and Kutztown. Its position on a main north-south corridor and its free parking lot make it accessible to both regular weekly shoppers and visitors making a special trip for a specific vendor.