HICKORY — Catawba County Public Health’s Farmers Market returns for its 14th season on June 4, the county said June 1, 2026, with local produce and activities for all ages.
Farmers are listed with summer crops including tomatoes, squash and zucchini, beans, peaches and berries, plus flowers and locally raised eggs and meat. The market is open weekly to the public. Cash, debit cards, SNAP/EBT, WIC, and senior farmers-market benefits are accepted. The stated goal is to address food insecurity by making it easier to buy local fruits and vegetables.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursdays from June through September in the Public Health front parking lot at 3070 11th Ave. Drive SE, Hickory, off Fairgrove Church Road behind Catawba Valley Medical Center. The county said there is ample parking and Greenway Transportation bus access.
Double Bucks lets SNAP/EBT and SUN Bucks users swipe for SNAP market tokens matched up to $30 each week for fresh fruits and vegetables. Eligible WIC clients can receive Farmers Market Nutritional Program benefits for local produce in summer. Catawba County WIC clients may call 828-695-5884.
“Our market is a fun event for people of all ages, and it improves individual and community health by making it easier for people to buy fresh fruits and vegetables,” WIC Director Jeremy Stockton said. “Our goal is to help families purchase additional fruits and vegetables so they can make food choices that benefit their families’ health because good nutrition is cornerstone for a healthy body, healthy family and healthy community. Our market also benefits the local economy by providing local farmers a place to sell their products directly to our community.”
The county said the market is one way Public Health increases access to nutritious foods, a health priority for about a decade and a top concern again in the 2023 Community Health Assessment.
WIC is described as a USDA-funded supplemental nutrition program for pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women and children up to age 5, with benefits for fruits and vegetables, whole grains, milk, juice, eggs, cheese, and cereal, plus nutrition and breastfeeding counseling. Eligibility and appointments: 828-695-5884. Public Health: 828-695-5800 or www.catawbacountync.gov/phealth.
The June 1 notice does not list participating farm names or a vendor fee.
Official release from Catawba County Government, June 1, 2026. https://www.catawbacountync.gov/news/catawba-county-public-health-farmers-market-opens-june-4/
