Meet Me at the Market | Eastern Market Detroit

Story by Nicole Rupersburg

Like so many other Detroit neighborhoods, Eastern Market has been experiencing monumental growth.

The Market District, which dates to 1891, has seen a slew of new restaurants, bars and retail openings and an influx of art galleries and artist studios; and renovation plans to significantly increase residential units are in the works.

The market itself has been undergoing a string of enhancements, too, including the recently completed three-year, $8.5 million renovation of Shed 5 that now includes a commercial kitchen for food entrepreneurs. And that’s the super-quick summary of it all.

With all the hubbub and positive chatter our nation’s largest historic public market district has been getting lately, Visit Detroit figured it was time to outline the goings-on going on in our venerable farmers market.

The market has expanded in recent years to include not just the hugely popular Saturday market but also Tuesday and Sunday markets.

Saturday

On Saturdays, you’ll find a vast assortment of local produce, flower and plant vendors, as well as an ever-growing number of local food producers and entrepreneurs that the market works diligently to include and promote. Saturdays are certainly the most vibrant days, when up to 45,000 people from all over southeastern Michigan and beyond stop by for a day at the market. Ribbers barbecue over massive grills set all along Russell Street in front of Bert’s Market Place, a soul food and jazz bar, and the sounds of their Saturday afternoon outdoor karaoke carries throughout the streets.

Sunday

The Sunday street markets are focused on arts and home goods vendors, featuring local artists, designers and crafters. Peruse hand-built furniture, paintings, hand-knit scarves, jewelry, silk-screened T-shirts, soaps and lotions, and much more, along with food truck vendors and live entertainment.

Tuesday

For those who enjoy the market as an experience but also want something less crowded, Tuesdays might be the market day for you. This scaled-down market day still offers produce, baked goods and meats as well as free Zumba and yoga classes and cooking demonstrations. You’ll have much more space to browse and get to know the vendors. It’s a more intimate experience.

Eastern Market Detroit Retail

The market is more than 100 years old, and some of the retailers have been around nearly that long.

Specialty Food and Grocery Stores

Rocky Peanut Co. is a longtime favorite of children and adults alike, offering bulk nuts, dried fruits, candies, teas, coffees and other goods. Germack Pistachio Co., which moved in 2012 from its original building on Russell Street that dates to 1924, has expanded beyond pistachios to get in the coffee roasting game with a roastery and cafe in its new space down the street. DeVries & Co., previously known as R. Hirt, has been around since 1887 and is still known for its stellar specialty meat and cheese counters and its selection of gourmet and locally made grocery items. The Gratiot Central Market, aka the “Gratiot meat mall,” dates to 1915 and has every kind of fish, meat and poultry you can imagine.

Unique Stores

Everything old is new again, and in the market, even if the business itself hasn’t been around for more than 100 years, it pays homage to that history in its own way. Signal-Return and Salt & Cedar are both old-fashioned letterpress studios. Check them out for unique handmade prints, workshops, dinners and special events.

Clothing Stores

Not everything here is quite so old-timey, though. Aptemal Clothing’s Division Street Boutique, known for its now-iconic “Detroit Hustles Harder” shirts and hats in bold neon colors, is also based here, as is the newer and soon-to-be iconic DETROIT VS EVERYBODY clothing line.

Pet Stores

Pets are welcome at 3 Dogs 1 Cat, an urban pet shop for your four-legged friends, and the people that love them. The store offers trendy, stylish and quality merchandise such as Detroit Manufacturing collars and leashes.

Eastern Market Restaurants, Bars & Nightlife

The market has some classic Detroit restaurants. But despite being historically a daytime destination, the market has a burgeoning nightlife scene, thanks to a growing number of residents and the presence of new art galleries and their nighttime music events and exhibit openings.

  • If you’re looking for something quick and casual, you can't go wrong with Supino Pizzeria. Grab the slice of the day to go, or order up a Smoky or Bismarck to enjoy in the cozy — and crowded — location.
  • On the other side of Supino Pizzeria is Russell Street Deli, another hugely popular destination known for having long lines out the door every weekend. Everything is made from scratch, and they source from local growers and purveyors as much as possible. Try the house-cooked Sy Ginsberg corned beef, a legendary Detroit delicacy.
  • Zeff’s Coney Island and Louie’s Ham & Corned Beef will all scratch your breakfast and lunch itch, with heaping platters of corned beef hash topped with fried eggs to get your day started off right.
  • Roma Cafe, now Amore de Roma has been open since 1890 and looks almost the same as it did when it was a favored hangout of Detroit’s notorious Purple Gang. The food is heavy old-world American Italian, and it is truly an experience.
  • Cutter’s Bar and Grill serves one of the best hamburgers in the city, and don’t miss out on the magic of the stuffed burger with the molten cheese inside. For delicious hand-tossed pizzas on chewy house-made dough with a side of Bumpy cake, stop by Milano Bakery, dating to 1958. And should you find yourself in need of late-night eats, hit up the recently opened Stache International for unique items such as the gyro corn dog.
  • Vivio’s Food & Spirits is still the place to be for bloody marys on Saturdays before hitting the market and Sundays before a Detroit Lions game. It is also open until 8 p.m. most days for a bucket of mussels and dinner bloodys.
  • Detroit City Distillery creates small-batch artisanal whiskey, gin and vodka using locally sourced ingredients, and mixes up craft cocktails with its own spirits inside a stylish tasting room. Stop in for $5 cups of punch and $6 happy-hour cocktails.
  • Thomas Magee’s Sporting House Whiskey Bar is an unfussy neighborhood bar with a solid selection of craft beers and whiskeys and all the Detroit games on TV, without the oft-obnoxious “sports bar” feeling.
  • Bert’s Market Place isn’t just a place for ribs and karaoke on Saturday afternoons; by night it’s a barbecue and soul food restaurant and one of Detroit’s premier destinations for live jazz and blues.
  • Eastern Market Brewing Co. is new to the market, brewing beers with local produce. Set up like a classic beer hall, this is a great place to hang out with friends and try native Detroit brews.

Eastern Market Events

Flower Day

The Sunday following Mother’s Day is Eastern Market Flower Day, and this is the market’s busiest weekend of the year. Upwards of 200,000 people from all over the state and region flock to the market for this annual ushering in of spring, when 15 acres of space is covered with every possible variety of flowers, trees and shrubs, including jasmine, daisies, lilac bushes, succulents and dozens of roses.

Shedding Light on Shed 5

Be sure to stop at Shed 5. It just reopened after a $8.5 million renovation. And marketgoers tell us they love it. For one thing, it has heated cement floors — and let’s face it, early spring mornings in Michigan can be on the chilly side. The shed’s other standout is the fully equipped community kitchen. It’s our very own food incubator/rentable test kitchen for wanna-be chefs and restaurateurs. Watch them saute, bake and broil, and then hopefully be one of the first to taste the what’s-coming-next to Detroit’s hot food scene.

Art Is in the Market

In the last few years, the market has become a hotbed for Detroit’s thriving art scene. The Market District is now the home of internationally renowned galleries, studios and large-scale art events. Inner State Gallery has cemented itself as the premier contemporary art gallery in Detroit, having gained international fame over the years through its time-released, limited-edition-art e-commerce store 1xRUN. The store has spearheaded multiple major public mural projects in the city, and partners on street art events with other galleries in Los Angeles, Hawaii and Japan. Inner State is the home base for 1xRUN operations as well as a gallery space where respected local and international artists show in solo and group exhibitions.

  • An undertaking led by Inner State Gallery, Murals in the Market, invited 45 renowned local and international artists to do large-scale murals throughout the Market District.
  • The Red Bull House of Art is an arts incubator project that serves as part gallery, part curator, part artist residency in which different “cycles” of artists are brought in for three-month residencies that culminate in a group exhibition. Open Saturdays 10 a.m.-3 p.m. or by appointment.
  • Trinosophes is equal parts excellent coffee shop serving pour-overs from Detroit’s best roasters and excellent cafe serving from-scratch fare (including vegan options and a must-try brunch). It’s also an art gallery and performance space. Most recently, it became the newest home of the popular independent record store, Peoples Records.
  • Held in conjunction with the Detroit Design Festival every September, Eastern Market After Dark is the best way to explore this creative hub, as all of the galleries, studios, retailers and workshops fling open their doors and invite the public in for a rare behind-the-scenes look during this market-wide evening festival.

Eastern Market Hours

Saturday year-round, 6 a.m.-4 p.m.

Sunday June through October, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Tuesday June through October, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Take a Tour

At 24 acres, the size of the market can be a little intimidating, especially if you’re unfamiliar with it. The easiest way around that is to sign up for a guided tour. Let knowledgeable locals be your guide to all the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the market, with tours that focus on the market’s history with the Underground Railroad, brewing and bootlegging; walking tours with plenty of food samples; and biking tours that explore Detroit’s growing urban agriculture industry.

  • Feet on the Street Tours & Events
  • City Tour Detroit (formerly Hometown History Tours)
  • Wheelhouse Detroit
  • Preservation Detroit

Where to Park

Parking is free, including in the parking garage on Riopelle Street (except on tailgating Sundays). There is also the large south parking lot near Russell Street and the Fisher Freeway Service Drive.

Detroit Lions Tailgating

Detroit Lions fans are loyal to the core, and every home game day you’ll find them tailgating in the market. Tailgating is open to all, however you will need to purchase a permit.

For more information on Eastern Market’s rich history, a directory of vendors (with links to their websites) and downloadable maps of the district and surrounding area, use our Eat, Shop, Stay + Play in the D map.

Read more about places to visit in Detroit.

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