As I pull into the shopping center that holds the Buford Highway Farmers Market, I can already tell it is a popular place to shop. After finally finding a place to park, I step into the market and am immediately overwhelmed by how crowded the large store is with customers. The store is set up like a typical grocery store with multiple aisles and a section for fresh foods like produce. The front of the store is decorated with an extremely large world globe, which is most likely representative of the fact that the market sells products from all around the world.

The Buford Highway Farmers Market, however, is different than a typical grocery store. According to their website, they have been “family owned and operated since 1984”. This store offered a much larger variety of products than the basic grocery. Many of the products I have not even heard of, such as the Maguey Leaf and the Spine Chayote and are very brightly colored with different kinds of textures and patterns. The store also seemed to cater highly to people of Hispanic heritage, as many of the products were with completely or partially written in Spanish. This market is also different because at the back of the store there was a line of small shops set up, similar to the eye doctor and nails salons at stores like Walmart. There was a watch and jewelry repair set up among various other shops.

As I near the end of exploring the farmers market, I find a fresh bakery where you can physically see the cooks making food in the back of their kitchen. There is fresh food set up behind windows and samples set out for potential customers to try. I decide to purchase one of the bakery’s cupcakes. After standing in a very long line to check out, I exit the market and enjoy my cupcake and the rest of my day.

Overall, I very much enjoyed the Buford Highway Farmer’s Market. There was a selection of foods from across the globe, all put out in attractive and unique displays, unlike chain grocery’s basic plastic bins and boxes. I enjoyed my cupcake and it is very likely that I would return here again.

“Buford Highway Farmers Market.” Buford Highway Farmers Market. Web. 07 March 2016.