French Market

Lonely Planet review

Truth be told, from a shopping standpoint, the French Market is a bit of a disappointment. It no longer plays a vital role in French Quarter life, and locals do not rely on it as they once did for their foodstuffs. For the most part the French Market caters to tourism. Still, it's an atmospheric old market with a range of shops and vendors and bustles with activities most days, but especially on weekends.

The market is split in two sections - the Farmer's Market and a flea market - and neither is particularly special. In a pinch, the French Market will supply the visitor with cheap gimcracks to give away back home, but for quality shopping you'll have to look somewhere else.

Shoppers can pick up some unique southern Louisiana products at the Flea Market any day of the week. There is a motley assortment of T-shirt and sunglasses vendors, as well as African art (obviously mass-produced), inexpensive silver jewelry, chintzy Mardi Gras masks and dolls, musical tapes and CDs of dubious origin, and enough preserved alligator heads to populate a swamp. Most prices at the Flea Market are negotiable. Officially the Flea Market is open 24 hours; however, most vendors keep their own hours and most are open from 09:00 to 17:00 .

Only a vestige of former market activity remains at the Farmer's Market, where large freezer trucks have replaced the small trucks of farmers. Still, you might occasionally see a beat-up pickup truck on sagging springs heading from the market to sell a load of fresh produce on an Uptown street. The Farmer's Market opens up early every morning and gradually peters out in the afternoon.

Merchants in the Farmer's Market offer fresh fruit and vegetables, including green beans, mangos, papaya, bananas, plantains, peaches, strawberries, watermelon, apples and pecans, as well as cold drinks. In addition, there are lots of kitchen supplies, spices (including a large selection of hot sauces), garlic and chili strings, and cookbooks for the tourist trade.