WORDS BY LAYNE VAN VRANKEN | PHOTOS BY NEW BRAUNFELS FARMERS MARKET
For the past 13 years, the New Braunfels Farmers Market has been a go-to culinary staple for locals. The bustling weekend market, which features around 70 vendors on any given Saturday, is more than just a novel weekend outing to grab a coffee and breakfast taco while listening to live music. The attending vendors and customers have formed such a tight bond that even a rainstorm or record-setting Texas heat won’t deter attendance.
“I’m always surprised to see how many people show up here, even on the worst weather days of the year. Rain or shine, there’s always vendors and there’s always customers,” says Vanessa Simpson, the market’s manager. “This is something that everyone looks forward to and depends on every week, and we’re really proud of that.”
Walking into the energetic, crowded market, customers are met with a plethora of fragrant and fresh local produce, pasture- raised meats, worldly prepared foods, pantry staples and unique goods and provisions to choose from, such as pecans from Seguin-based Comal Pecan Farm, fresh-baked crispy breads from German bakery, Uwe’s, and sweet and spicy jams and jellies from ABJ Farms, just to name a few. The market is the lifeblood of the community and it shows.
Simpson, the market’s first full-time manager, has worked for the past two years to bring new life and energy into the market. One particular goal of Simpson’s is promoting and championing the market’s vendors, whom she has profound respect and admiration for. “I put a lot of energy into making this a great market, not just for the customers, but also for the vendors because they’ve made the market what it is today,” she says.
Vendors come as far as 150 miles away to sell their goods every weekend, and it seems every one of them has cultivated a loyal following. Simpson even notes that if a vendor moves to a different space or doesn’t show up for a week, she’ll likely hear about it. “It’s a good problem to have,” she notes.
Seguin-based Braune Farms is a fixture in several markets across Texas, including the Pearl Farmers Market in San Antonio and the Memorial Villages Farmers Market in Houston, and the family-owned and operated farm has become a major produce provider at the New Braunfels Farmers Market with items like their uber-popular sweet corn.
The farm returned to the market in April 2023 after a hiatus and co-owner, Julie Braune, says they’ve felt the love from both new and returning customers. “We have a lot of customers who have known us for years, and even make the trip out to our farm stand to see us, and that’s not lost on us.”
One vendor that has gained quite the fanfare in their short time at the market is Taco Temple. The business has been at the market since early 2022 and has brought what co-owner Al Reynosa calls a certain “Tex-Mex flair to the market.”
Customers can choose from some amazing options on the menu, including big-ticket, fail-safe items like the breakfast chalupa — a beautiful melody of beans, cheese, eggs, bacon and homemade salsa — and “the world’s smallest bean and cheese tacos,” which are no more than two inches in diameter but pack a flavorful punch. Reynosa and his wife, Monica, are thrilled at the response they’ve received from the market: “In a restaurant, you don’t always get to see a customer and interact with them, so to be right there face-to-face with them every week is an amazing experience.”
One big project that is in the early stages for the New Braunfels Farmers Market this year is a relocation down the street to the old co-op building, as well as an expansion into an indoor market. The project is currently pending approval by the city but, if approved, will double the amount of space the market offers for its vendors.
There will also be the opportunity for vendors to have a full-time presence at the indoor market– something Simpson is particularly excited to see come to fruition. “It’s a project that is still in the early stages right now, but we’ve got some amazing things ahead of us.”
New Braunfels Farmers Market
186 S Castell Ave
New Braunfels, TX 78130
Saturdays 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Dog-friendly
Nbfarmersmarket.com
@newbraunfelsfarmersmarket
About the Contributor
Layne Van Vranken is Houston-born and Houston-raised and seeks out culinary adventures whenever and wherever they present themselves, often documenting her curiosities and discoveries in various publications.
