Chesapeake Home

Tomorrow, Friday, June 4, Farmers Market season begins in D.C. at 10 am — say hello to delicious, locally-sourced, seasonal produce! To kick off the 15th season of the USDA Summer Farmers Market, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Kathleen Merrigan will stop by to celebrate the opening day and announce this year’s theme, “In Our Neighborhood.” The opening day festivities include special guest Chef Eric Ziebold, executive chef of CityZen and Sou’wester at The Mandarin Oriental Hotel.  Chef Ziebold will hold cooking demonstrations at 10:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. using locally-grown strawberries in a strawberry shortcake recipe and in a non-alcoholic fruit-infused cocktail.

The USDA Farmers Market, held every Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot at 12th Street and Independence Ave., S.W. (across the street from the Smithsonian Metro stop), boasts fruits, vegetables, herbs, and bakery products from Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The first Friday of each month, the market, which attracts up to 2,000 shoppers each market day, will host a cooking demonstration led by a chef from one of D.C.’s most exciting restaurants. The market will also have live music and other special guests throughout the season, which will culminates on October 29.