“Hello, mijo,” a bubbly customer said as they emerged from the busy Boulder farmers market crowd to place an order at the Esmeralda’s Tamale House stand – one of numerous patrons who warmly greeted Andy Soto and his sister as the two served up fresh tortillas, chips, salsas and pork tamales.

The family-run Mexican food kitchen, based in Greeley, is one of the many vendors already open at the Boulder County Farmers Market. The relationship between his family and customers is what keeps them coming back year after year, Soto said.

“It’s just a friendly environment here,” he said.

He sees about 200 people a day and makes time to chat with each one, and he loves when he encounters customers who ask how his grandparents are. They were the first to bring his family’s cooked-from-scratch dishes to the Boulder market roughly 17 years ago.

Now run by his aunt and uncle, Soto’s family keeps Esmeralda’s Tamale House authentic by starting work at 5 a.m. each day to freshly prepare their ingredients. They buy organic corn, cook and grind the kernels, mixing them into corn tortillas, so they can personally oversee the quality of their product, he said. Avocado salsa, chips and pork tamales are the most popular menu items.

While Soto and his sister ran the Boulder stand on Saturday, his cousin and uncle were managing the business’ stand at the Longmont farmers market. During peak farmers market season, the family is simultaneously running stands at seven local markets on any given Saturday.

“It’s quite busy, but that’s also what we love. We get to interact with all of the people,” he said.

Honoring the tradition of farmers markets is what keeps another vendor coming back to the Boulder market as well.

Around the corner, Dorian Skoog helped customers choose between a selection of jerky made from Colorado-raised beef. Sourced from its Fowler based, family-owned cattle ranch, Centennial Cuts sells beef jerky, beef sticks, summer sausage, steaks, roasts and ground beef.

The owners “wanted to make beef available to everybody,” and a few years ago branched out into making and selling jerky, Skoog said, who helps the ranch with retail operations. Centennial Cuts has two brick-and-mortar shops, one in Lakewood and one in Colorado Springs, plus a kiosk at the airport, but its first retail experience was at farmers markets, Skoog said.

“That’s what got us started, so we are just trying to stay true to our roots,” he said.

Business at the market is “getting better all the time” and interest in Centennial Cuts’ products is “just constantly growing,” he said as the farmers market season gets up and running this year.

Although the Boulder and Longmont markets are two of the earliest to open, the farmers market calendar for the Denver metro area is about to take off. Several markets are launching their 2023 season in May, with a few more kicking off in June. Here’s where to find a farmers market nearly every day of the week, and in order of opening date, in the Denver metro area.

SUNDAY

Highlands Ranch Farmers Market

The market will open on May 7 and last through October 29. Held at the Highlands Ranch Town Center at 9288 Dorchester Street in Highlands Ranch. Markets run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays.

South Pearl Farmers Market

The South Pearl Street market opens on May 7 and lasts through November 12. The market is held on Sundays on the 1400 and 1500 blocks of South Pearl Street, and runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Parker Farmers Market

The farmers market brings more than 100 vendors to downtown Parker each Sunday. The Parker Farmers Market opens on Mother’s Day and runs through Halloween. Events operate from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 19565 Mainstreet in Parker.

Highlands Square Farmers Market

The Highlands market opens on May 21 and goes until October 15. It is held on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at W 32n Avenue and Lowell Boulevard in Denver.

Festival Park Farmers Market

Located in downtown Castle Rock, the farmers market is open every Sunday from May 28th through October 15. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Festival Park, located at 300 2nd Street, Castle Rock.

Arvada Farmers Market

The market runs from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. each Sunday, from June 4 to October 1. It is located at 5702 Olde Wadsworth Blvd. in Old Town Arvada.

SATURDAY

Boulder Farmers Market

The Boulder market opened on April 1 and runs through November 18. Saturday markets are open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 13th Street between Arapahoe Avenue and Canyon Boulevard in Boulder.

Longmont Farmers Market

The Longmont market is held at the Boulder County Fairgrounds, 9595 Nelson Road. The events are each Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The market opened on April 1 and runs through November 18.

Southwest Plaza

The market opens on May 6 and runs through October 28. The markets are held on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Southeast Parking lot near Wadsworth and Bowles.

University Hills Farmers Market

The market opens on May 13 and runs through October 28. Each event is held on Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 2500 S Colorado Blvd. in Denver.

Rebel Marketplace

Rebel Marketplace runs from May 13 through October 21, on the first and third Saturdays of the month. The farmers market operates from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and accepts SNAP and EBT cards. It is located at Del Mark Park, 312 Del Mar Circle in Aurora.

Southlands Farmers Market

The Southlands Farmers Market sets up in the Town Square of the Southlands Shopping Center every Saturday from May 13 through the end of September. The market runs from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is located at E470 and Smoky Hill Road.

Westminster Farmers Market

The Westminster Farmers Market runs from June 3 through September 30. The market is open each Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 98th and Sheridan in Westminster.

Lakewood Farmers Market

The Lakewood Farmers Market begins on June 10 and runs through September 30. The events are on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 9077 W Alameda Avenue.

Cherry Creek Fresh Market

The Cherry Creek market is held at 1st Avenue and University Boulevard at the Cherry Creek Shopping Center. The Saturday market opens on May 6 and runs through November 4. Events are from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

City Park Esplanade

The City Park market at East Colfax Avenue and Columbine Street in Denver is held every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The market opens on May 13 and runs through October 28.

Louisville Farmers Market

The market runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Saturday at 824 Front Street in Louisville. The market opens this year on May 13 and ends on October 14.

Union Station Farmers Market

The Union Station market begins on June 3 and lasts through September 16. The markets are held on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Union Station in Denver.

Golden Farmers Market

The Golden market runs from June 3 to October 7. The events are on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the West Parking Lot of the Golden Library, 1019 10th Street in Golden.

FRIDAY

South University Farmers Market

The South University Farmers Market will run in 2023 from June 2 to October 27, located at 5859 S University Blvd. in Greenwood Village. Markets open at 10 a.m. and close at 2 p.m. every Friday.

WEDNESDAY

Boulder Farmers Market

See location under Saturday listings above.

Wednesday markets will run from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. beginning on May 3 and ending October 4.

Cherry Creek Fresh Market

See location under Saturday listings above.

The Wednesday summer markets will run from June 14 to August 16, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Littleton Farmers Market

The Littleton Farmers Market operates from June 14 to September 27 at Aspen Grove, 7301 S. Santa Fe Drive. Markets are on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

TUESDAY

Evergreen Farmers Market

Located at El Rancho Colorado, 29260 US-40 in Evergreen, the market begins on May 30 and runs through September 26. Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Tuesday.