Every summer, avid cooks and foodies flock to the blocked-off streets, parking lots, and tree-lined parks hosting farmers and artisans selling the freshest produce from around Colorado and prepared foods to take home for your pantry and table. Farmers’ markets inspire new recipes, get neighbors talking about their next cookouts, and give us all something new to look forward to with each sunny week.

Will the find of the week be Western Slope cherries, Boulder County tomatoes, or a blistering new hot sauce from a local chile grower? Get the goods at these farmers’ markets in metro Denver, Boulder, and beyond.

Any farmers’ market with its own bar is a win in our books, but this farmers’ market/block party in the heart of West Highland also delivers a strong selection of bountiful produce and ready-to-eat foods. Make a morning meal out of your visit with a raspberry chocolate scone from Hearth and wander around, breakfast in hand, while enjoying the live music.

There are plenty of reasons to visit this farmers’ market set up on Saturdays at the Cherry Creek Shopping Center, chief among them the free validated parking. Stroll the food and craft stands while looking out for some stellar bakeries such as decades-long market favorite Kogler’s Bakery, or seek out something new and unique like Uncle Tim’s bottled cocktails.

Now a half-decade old, the City Park Farmers’ Market starts early each Saturday, which makes it easier to get a jump on perusing goods from more than 100 Colorado producers. We especially love this market for its pop-up eateries; Chaatwala Denver and Oh My! Empanada are among this year’s vendors. Beyond fruit and veggies, be on the lookout for specialty purveyors like Dos Caras (where you can nosh on tacos while selecting some take-home tortillas) and longtime pasta favorite Sfoglina Denver.

This northeast Denver market sets itself apart by being entirely focused on local food and beverages (i.e., there are no craft or informational stands). Plus, all prepared food stands are required to use compostable packaging, so you can feel a little better about your impact on the planet while strolling Founders’ Green on Sunday mornings. Be sure to check out our favorite South American sandwich from Cachai Chilean Food and frozen lasagnas and rare Sardinian pastas from Casa Crobu.

The Green Valley Ranch Farmers’ Market celebrates its 10-year anniversary this summer, giving northeast Denver residents the chance to enjoy the best of the harvest season. Head to Town Center Park on Wednesday evenings to stock up on peaches, mushrooms, jarred goods, soaps, and more. Live music and other activities—from face painting to caricatures—are also part of the fun.

As a pay-what-you-can farmers’ market, Huerta Urbana makes a commitment to ensuring Denverites have equitable access to fresh, healthy foods. Marketgoers can acquire their goods in four ways: paying the full price listed by each vendor; paying as much as they can, with the rest covered by the market; paying above full price and donating the overage to help the market cover other shoppers; and paying through SNAP, WIC, and Double Up Food Bucks. Huerta Urbana skips a few Fridays during the season, so check the market’s calendar before going.

Denver Tech Center’s only farmers’ market turns five years old this year, offering a wide range of fresh produce, food products, and other take-home goods from more than 50 vendors. Enjoy live music and set aside a few dollars to spend at the market’s beer garden. Plus, this is a pup-friendly affair, so feel free to bring Fido along.

The South Pearl Street historic shopping district already draws plenty of visitors with its widely appealing variety of stores and restaurants, but on Sunday mornings during the warmer half of the year, the South Pearl Farmers’ Market booms. In addition to the usual types of vendors you’d expect at a farmers’ market, some of the street’s brick-and-mortars also set up market booths, so you can pick up a hat or some clever socks to go with your onions and kale.

The University Hills Farmers’ Market posts up at a new location this year but still features a 65-percent food focus, making it a great choice for south Denver residents looking for something to eat and something to add to their homes. Sixty to 70 booths will be present each week. If you like this market but prefer your produce shopping to come with mountain views, the organization that manages this market also operates the Evergreen Farmers’ Market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday from May 27 through September 23.

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The Arvada Farmers’ Market in pedestrian-friendly Olde Town Arvada is now in its 17th season, and there are plenty of delicious goodies to discover this summer. But farmers’ market season doesn’t have to end when the weather gets chilly. Arvada brings this market back on Saturdays in December from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. While you’re at it, make a day out of exploring the small businesses and local eateries lining the charming northwest suburb’s Olde Town area.

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Rebel Marketplace founder James Grevious has long been in the urban farming game, so he understands firsthand how growing food is essential to the advancement of the community. That principle is put to work at this six-year-old hyperlocal farmers’ market, which provides the space for neighborhood farms in Aurora, along with other community artisans and entrepreneurs, to thrive.

South Aurora residents should wake up bright and early Saturday morning to bustle through Town Square in the Southlands Shopping Center, where they can shop for seasonal produce, freshly prepared food, and locally made crafts and bath products. The Southlands Farmers’ Market is operated by the Local Colorado, who also hosts farmers’ markets in Parker and Castle Rock.

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To say that the Boulder County Farmers’ Market is a staple of its community is an understatement. Not only has it been operating since 1987, but its April through November season is the longest of any market in the state. Plus, the market’s food access programs, which include SNAP (with matching funds of up to $20 per customer) and WIC, help provide local residents with fresh produce. The nonprofit also operates a market in Longmont on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.. Expect more than 150 producer-only vendors between the two locations.

You’ll find everything from Palisade peaches to natural body care products at these two markets in Boulder County, but if you have your heart set on shopping a specific vendor, we recommend heading to the Real Farmers Market website. Here you can browse participating vendors by date, so you’ll never miss out on your favorite farmer or food producer.

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The Fort Collins Farmers’ Market has been operating since 1984, making it the oldest market co-op in the state. The Colorado Agricultural Marketing Cooperative, which runs the farmers’ market, gathers a robust selection of locally grown produce, prepared foods and drinks, and other craft goods throughout its season.

Since 1976, the Larimer County Farmers’ Market has provided bountiful fresh produce to residents of northern Colorado. Overseen by the Colorado State University Extension, the farmers’ market includes community programs such as Market Days for Older Adults, which provides low-income participants with vouchers for produce purchases.

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Abutting a babbling stretch of Clear Creek, Golden Farmers’ Market brings in around 2,500 visitors every week. Be among the crowd and enjoy perusing 70-plus vendors while listening to live music that runs from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. (Note: The Golden Farmers’ Market will be closed on Saturday, July 27, for Buffalo Bill Days.)

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Downtown Littleton’s farmers’ market is now operated by LittletonQPlus, an events organization dedicated to inclusivity and celebrating the town’s diversity. This year’s vendor lineup includes produce from Grand Valley Micro Farms, locally grown mushrooms from Fox Fungi, sustainable body care from Juniperseed Mercantile, and more.

Metro Denver Farmers’ Market spans nearly 50 years and three current locations. So whether you’re stationed in Lakewood, Highlands Ranch, or Ken Caryl, you’ll have a solid spot nearby to shop for the best that Colorado has to offer in edible and non-edible goods. If you’re headed for the Highlands Ranch market, bring extra hands so you can wrangle a whole cherry pie or two from Legacy Pie Co; at Southwest Plaza, meet children’s author Justin Matott and get a signed book; and be the first among the Lakewood Farmers’ Market customers when it opens on Saturday, June 14.

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• : 14535 Delaware St., Westminster

This suburban farmers’ market sets up every Sunday in the Macy’s parking lot at Orchard Town Center. Expect to find fresh produce; retail goods such as breads, sauces, and teas; and handmade crafts among the 40-plus booths at each market.