After asking Erie residents where they prefer to get their fresh produce throughout the year, some felt passionately that Mason Farms carries the best and freshest produce. Other residents felt the importance and impact of the East Avenue Pay-What-You-Can Farmers Market makes it the best farmers’ market in town. In the spirit of fairness, and because each received the same number of votes from our readers, we believe that both make a tremendous impact on Erie’s community and deserve the title of the best farmers’ market in Erie.
East Avenue Pay-What-You-Can Farmers Market
The East Avenue Pay-What-You-Can Farmers Market is a seasonal community market in Erie that operates during the warmer months, typically running from early or mid-summer through late September or early October. In recent seasons, the market has been open on Wednesdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., giving neighborhood residents a mid-week opportunity to pick up fresh food. It is not a year-round operation, but rather a summertime market designed to meet the needs of residents in the East Side while harvests are at their peak.
The market is located at 650 East Avenue, on the corner of East Avenue and East 7th Street, hosted at the Erie Center for Arts & Technology (ECAT). This East Side location places the market directly within a residential area where access to affordable, fresh produce is often limited. The exact address of the host site is 650 East Ave., Suite 120, Erie, PA 16503, though the market itself is outdoors on the grounds.
The produce offered at the East Avenue market changes from week to week depending on what local farms, gardeners, and community growers have available. Instead of pushing the typical mix of large grocery-store tomatoes and specialty items, the organizers prioritize foods that East Side residents actually request and use. Many neighbors prefer green tomatoes rather than fully ripe ones, along with collard greens, kale, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and other everyday vegetables that fit easily into weeknight cooking. Because the market pulls from a network of small urban growers, backyard gardeners, and local farms, the mix of produce reflects both the season and the community’s culinary preferences.
Although the focus is firmly on fresh produce, the market sometimes offers other items depending on donations and availability. Some weeks include herbs, occasional pantry staples, or other homegrown goods, and the organizers note that additional items may be available at no cost. However, the heart of this market remains its fresh fruits and vegetables, which are offered through a pay-what-you-can model to ensure that everyone can access healthy food regardless of income.
The East Avenue Pay-What-You-Can Market is organized through a partnership between the Wayne Health & Wealth Equity District, BUILD Community Development Corporation, and the team at the Erie Center for Arts & Technology. It is also part of a broader regional effort to expand food access through a network of pay-what-you-can markets supported by local nonprofits and growers. The market’s coordination work has involved staff members who oversee communications and special projects connected to ECAT and the Wayne district. Altogether, the market operates as a collaborative community effort designed to make fresh, healthy, locally grown produce accessible to every household on Erie’s East Side.
Mason Farms
Mason Farms is a long-running, family-owned agricultural business in Erie County with roots that go back several generations. The Mason family describes the beginnings of the farm as a simple strawberry stand operated by the sons of John Sr. and Sue Mason in Lake City, selling berries from a homemade cart, starting in 1974. Over the decades, that small venture grew into a large farming and retail operation now overseen by a new generation of the Mason family. John Mason Jr. has been publicly identified as one of the current leaders of the business, continuing the family’s role in running the farm and its multiple market locations.
Today, Mason Farms operates from several sites across the Erie region. The main farm and original location is at 8603 West Lake Road in Lake City, where much of the growing, harvesting, and pick-your-own activity takes place. They also have a major retail market at 839 Peninsula Drive in Erie, as well as another site at 4115 Old French Road, plus additional seasonal stands such as the one in Edinboro. Not all of these locations operate year-round. The Peninsula Drive market is typically open for an extended season, shifting its inventory from garden plants in spring to produce in summer and pumpkins and Christmas trees later in the year. The Lake City farm stand and other satellite locations tend to follow the growing season, opening in spring or early summer and closing once fall harvests wind down.
Mason Farms grows more than a hundred varieties of fruits and vegetables on roughly 350 acres of farmland. Their fields and farm stands offer everything from tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, and potatoes to raspberries, some of the best strawberries you’ll ever have in your life (according to me), grapes, apples, and beans. The pick-your-own fields in Lake City often include tomatoes, strawberries, peppers, apples, and a wide lineup of seasonal items, while their already-picked produce fills the markets throughout the summer and fall. Beyond fresh produce, Mason Farms is also known for its large garden center with annuals, perennials, houseplants, hanging baskets, herbs, vegetable starts, trees, and shrubs. Their retail markets carry jams, sauces, snack items, gift baskets, and seasonal décor, reflecting the business’s evolution into a year-round community destination.
Events have become a major part of Mason Farms’ identity, particularly its well-known fall festival, Pumpkintown, held at the Peninsula Drive location. This annual event features a petting zoo, slides, a cornstalk maze, bounce houses, and concessions, drawing families from across the region every autumn. They also host school tours, birthday parties during the fall season, and a Christmas shop in winter, offering fresh-cut trees, wreaths, and holiday decorations. These seasonal activities, combined with the farm’s long legacy and multiple produce locations, have helped Mason Farms remain one of Erie County’s most recognized and enduring farm operations.
More farm markets in Erie
Just because Mason Farms and The East Avenue Pay-What-You-Can Market got the majority of the votes does not mean that other local farm markets don’t meet the mark. In a city with food deserts and food insecurity, it’s important to mention these incredible markets that bring fresh produce to Erie residents. Here’s a list of more farm markets around Erie, including their seasonal hours and locations:
Downtown Erie Farmers Market
Perry Square, 601 State Street, Erie, PA 16501
Season: Summer (typically June – September)
Hours: Sundays 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Highlights: Local produce, baked goods, flowers, crafts, and live music at noon.
Website: visiterie.com
Little Italy Farmers Market
430 West 19th Street, Erie, PA 16502
Season: June – September
Hours: Mondays 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Highlights: Community-run market with local growers, urban farms, and neighborhood vendors. Accepts and doubles SNAP, WIC, and Senior FMNP vouchers.
Organizer: Sisters of St. Joseph Neighborhood Network (ssjnn.org)
LEAF Open Market
Frontier Park, along West 8th Street at Arboretum Drive, Erie, PA
Season: Select Saturdays June – September
Hours: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Highlights: Local farms, bakers, artisans, and small-batch makers hosted by the Lake Erie Arboretum at Frontier Park.
Website: leaferie.org
Parade Street Fresh Food Farm Stand
Corner of East 15th & Parade Streets, Erie, PA
Season: Summer through early fall
Hours: Tuesdays Noon – 3 p.m.
Highlights: Low-cost and pay-what-you-can produce grown by local urban farms, aimed at improving food access in East Erie.
East Bayfront Eats & Arts Market
East Bayfront District (near Bayfront Parkway & Holland Street), Erie PA
Season: Summer – early fall
Hours: Varies by event (typically weekends), updated on Local Harvest
Highlights: Combines local foods, crafts, and live entertainment in a community-arts setting.
