Ithaca Farmers Market Reviews
Reviews
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![Emery]()
Emery Sent on 10/05/2025Best magical autumn wedding!
We LOVED having our wedding here! The booths offered a lot of flexibility for use and decor! We ended up mostly using leaf garlands to decorate each booth. Something we were worried about was the lightning but the string lights offered enough light for the night, I would suggest making sure your photographer has a good flash. It added to the magical feel of our wedding. You will have to rent tables and chairs but it’s worth it with the price of the venue. There’s a rental company minutes away and offered great service. One of the most beautiful parts our friends and family enjoyed was watching the sunset on the dock! Our friends and family are still raving about the venue.
June was fantastic to chat with, they answered all our questions in a prompt matter. They also were very flexible with our schedule. One of the bathrooms was out of order and they were so kind and let use the bathroom trailers with no additional cost. They gabe very clear rules and expectations! I found it very useful they supplied maps and suggested layouts. -
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![Courtney]()
Courtney Sent on 04/11/2025The Perfect Blend of Charm, Flexibility & Service
The Ithaca Farmers Market is a dream venue for couples looking for a charming, rustic, and lakeside backdrop. As a professional wedding planner, I have always impressed by how flexible and accommodating the team is. From setup to breakdown, the staff makes the process seamless, as well as straight-forward. The venue offers a naturally beautiful atmosphere that doesn’t require much extra decorating to make it feel magical. Bonus: When we’re in town for events, our team loves attending the market — it's full of local treasures, great eats, and an unforgettable vibe! -
![Becca]()
Becca Sent on 10/02/2024A Great Place to Get Married
We had our wedding at the Farmers Market this past year and we are so happy with our decision. We came from out of state, but are former Ithaca residents, so the venue was special to us. We've spent countless hours visiting the market as patrons - so it was fitting to get married here. I love that the space can be anything you want it to be. It is really a blank slate. Type A brides and wedding planners really thrive here because of the vast amount of space to play around creatively. Our guests who haven't been to the area were so impressed with the location and the overall feel of the market after-hours and how we decorated it. We strung 50+ lanterns up to give it a magical "starry night" feel and the staff was so accommodating and kind about any questions or ideas we had for the wedding. The vendors who work with the IFM staff are well-versed in the market and the quick turnaround time it takes to put together this celebration after the market ends. If this is something you're worried about - don't be. They are such professionals when it comes to weddings here. Overall I am so happy with how it turned out. -
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Katie Sent on 08/30/2024
Perfect Venue for Relaxed Summer Wedding
We didn't spend a lot of time looking at venues because we knew the farmers market would be the perfect fit for what we wanted, and we are really happy with our choice. From the beginning, working with the farmers market staff was super easy; they are organized, transparent (you can see what dates are already booked and pricing on the website), and responsive. We never had to wait more than a few hours to responses to emails and questions. Also, even though you have to bring in your own vendors, this is a well-priced option that delivers incredible bang for your buck because the setting for the market is already so beautiful that you don't have to overthink decoration. We didn't hire a decorator separate from our coordinator and her staff, and, alongside our coordinator, the farmers market staff helped us figure out the best way to execute our plan. The farmers market is also a great option if you want to do more of the planning yourself because they provide a list of preferred vendors, which enables you to identify easily vendors who know the market well while also affording you flexibility to curate your own unique wedding. Our guests really enjoyed the laidback but stunning setting of the farmers market, and we think it really set the scene for a fun, intimate ceremony and party that was truly our own. -
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Van N. Sent on 08/08/2024
Best Wedding Venue in Ithaca!
We had our wedding at IFM in early August, it ended up raining all day and the rain plan was much more romantic than I even imagined. The venue is the best bang for your buck, it's quite simple and charming which means you can have a minimal decorating plan or go all out. We chose to go all-out and hired Serendipity and Van Noble as well (both local vendors that are super fab, I might add). It's a great place and we'll treasure our time shared at the IFM! -
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![Gabi]()
Gabi Sent on 07/04/2024Perfect wedding Venue
Jordan with the Ithaca Farmers Market was very responsive, organized, and detailed, which was just what we needed planning a wedding from across the country in California. On the day of, everything was taken care of in a timely fashion even though we were doing it at 6 pm, 2 hours after the Farmers Market closed. Because vendors had partnered with the Farmers Market before, set up and break down was almost completely handled by our caterer. The actual venue itself was wonderful. We din't provide any decorations beyond flowers we had bought at the Farmers Market that day and it was perfect. Our pictures came out great with the trees, lake, and wooden pavilion as backdrops. I would highly recommend having your wedding here. -
David Sent on 10/12/2023
Perfect Wedding at the Perfect Venue
Having grown up in Ithaca, attending the Farmers Market my entire life, it was a no-brainer choosing it as the venue for our fall wedding. The event coordinator was lovely to work with, answering any and all questions we had during the planning process. As soon as the market was closed for the day, their entire team was out cleaning and getting it ready for our vendors. We did very minor decorating, as the market speaks for itself. What decorating we did do was placed in different vendor booths, which helped create little different "areas" for our guests to visit. We received endless compliments from our guests about the space. Getting married surrounded by the water and changing colors was magical. My wife and I cannot say enough good things about our experience getting married at the Ithaca Farmers Market. Highly recommend! -
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![Chloe]()
Chloe Sent on 07/13/2023Magical Wedding
We were so excited to get married at the Farmer's Market! The night was absolutely magical, and we didn't feel like we needed any more decoration than the string lights they have up. We had around 160 people at our wedding and the space didn't feel too big or too small. The weather is definitely a risk we had to take, but we got lucky and it was gorgeous! The staff at the market was great and answered all of our questions! Their recommendations for other vendors was spot on and we had a great team that made our day so absolutely magical. -
![Brianna]()
Brianna Sent on 06/27/2023A Magical Venue!
It was a no-brainer to have our wedding at the Ithaca Farmers Market. It's a very meaningful place for us and made for a magical celebration of our love. Our ceremony was incredibly picturesque - with the backdrop of Cayuga Lake, met with the setting sun and a hot air balloon that happened to be floating past. Then moving in to the farmers market for the reception was seamless. We decorated a few of the booths with "exhibits" of our relationship, a photo booth, a game booth, a guest book/polaroid booth and used the Luna Food Truck which all worked splendidly and looked beautiful. The market ends at 3pm and the setup crew/vendors can start setting up at 4pm. We had our ceremony start at 6pm (which was a bit ambitious with the amount of decorations we had) with the reception ending at 11/11:30pm.
Jordan, the event director, was very responsive and a pleasure to work with. A half hour before the ceremony, we noticed high schoolers arriving to take prom photos on the lake by the market while we were finishing setting up and I was able to get on the phone with Jordan to resolve the issue. She worked very well with our catering team and I didn't have to worry about anything else for the rest of the evening. There is a bike path that runs through the ceremony area and sandwich boards are placed on either side to keep people from coming through, which worked fairly well during the ceremony, but didn't stop some bikers - it is a public park after all.
The next morning we had our guests meet us at the market for a "farewell stroll" and it was so cool to show everyone the market in it's operational state. Highly recommend doing this!!
Overall, the market is the perfect spot for a wedding! I'm so thrilled we were able to have it at this enchanting venue! Huge thanks to Jordan and the market team for making this the best day ever -
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![Melinda]()
Melinda Sent on 08/14/2022Beautiful venue
We had our wedding here and absolutely loved it. I'd known for a long time that I wanted to have my wedding here, and it far exceeded my expectations. Such a beautiful spot, with twinkly lights already set up and plenty of space for a large or small event, plus it's right on the water. Jordan, the Farmers Market coordinator, was quick to respond and answer any questions I had leading up to the event. The space is just beautiful!
One thing to note: you will have to pay for everything (tables, chairs, catering equipment, etc.) to be brought in as it is just an open space. This was just an added expense and extra step the day of the event, so just be aware. Our caterer (shout out to Macro Mamas) had plenty of experience at the Farmers Market so they knew exactly how to handle the set up and clean up of the space. I recommend working with vendors who are all familiar with the space. -
![Daniel]()
Daniel Sent on 10/30/2019Perfect place for a wedding
This was a truly perfect place to host a wedding! We had ours at the end of September—all our guests loved being able to celebrate under the market roof but also explore wander around by the lake. Laura was super easy to work with. Highly recommend! -
![Alex]()
Alex Sent on 09/06/2019Beautiful local venue!
As two Ithaca natives, the Ithaca Farmers Market was a no-brainer as a wedding venue. We couldn't be more thrilled with our decision!
It's a beautiful location - there's so many potential photo opportunities, and the market lends itself well to a myriad of decor, allowing you to truly convey your wedding vision and capture it beautifully. We were blown away the day of our wedding, and the sneak peek photos we've seen from our photographer have been breathtaking. The vast pavilion allows you to both enjoy the beautiful weather of the summer, yet still allow shade and protection from a rogue summer storm.
The included bathrooms were perfect for our group, but it was nice knowing that the extra restrooms were available, as our guest list kept creeping higher. Parking was ample and the location can't be beat - close to Downtown Ithaca, but also an easy drive from the airport and any other local locations, as well as a quick pickup spot for taxis/rideshares, should anyone need to leave their car overnight.
The cost of the venue is totally fair, and our reasonable deposit was promptly returned after the wedding. Booking of the venue was a breeze (I think the website has even been upgraded since we booked!), and Laura was very attentive throughout the entire process, making sure we were aware of and had secured all of the pertinent permits for what we were planning.
We would definitely recommend the Ithaca Farmers Market as a wedding venue! -
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Katherine Sent on 08/27/2019
Love this space
This space was very easy to adapt into the perfect wedding and reception venue. There are plenty of outlets, all the vendors in the area know where they would like to set up and where to stand. I just loved it. -
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Nancy Sent on 08/19/2019
Love this venue so much!!
We got married at the Farmers Market a few weeks ago and we loved everything about it! The Farmers Market is such a beautiful location (right on the lake) and provides the perfect opportunity to have a large group of people in one space. We had a little under 200 guests, but the space is so big that it felt much more intimate! We had room for yard games, people could walk around and then there was plenty of space for dancing as the night went on. Everything about the farmers market as a venue was perfect (including the beautiful twinkle lights that come with the space!). The aesthetic was gorgeous and our decorations made the space feel elegant and comfortable. The only hesitation I had about booking the farmers market was the set up/clean up since it was a functioning farmers market the day of our wedding, but if you hire a day of coordinator/wedding planner then this will make it 100% worth it. I would highly recommend the farmers market as a venue, especially if you also hire a day of coordinator/wedding planner to do the heavy lifting of set up/clean up! -
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Erin Sent on 08/10/2019
Wright Wedding!
We had such a fantastic time having our wedding celebration at te Farmer’s Market. Working with Laura was a pleasure - she was very helpful and accommodating of our needs and desires. Our day was a fairytale! We would definitely use this venue again in the future, and highly recommend it for any kind of event. -
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![Melanie]()
Melanie Sent on 07/09/2019Amazing Wedding Venue Location!
The Ithaca Farmers Market was an amazing venue for our wedding reception! We had an intimate wedding, but the venue would be accommodate a larger wedding party as well. The event coordinator, Laura, was also amazing! She answered all my questions, and even gave us a list of recommended vendors they have worked with! We were a little nervous about picking a DIY type place, but by also hiring a full-service caterer, it was very manageable. It has a rustic and yet elegant vibe to it. We chose to have our wedding on a Friday, which allowed us to have the venue the entire day and night, which was great! Gave us plenty of time to set up. The pavilion offered plenty of shelter, while not sacrificing the outdoor look we wanted. Also, there were so many booths everywhere, so there was no need to worry about setting up extra decoration tables! What really sold it for us was being right on the beautiful, Cayuga Lake. This was great, and our guests and ourselves really enjoyed going on the peer and seeing an amazing sunset on the water. I would highly recommend Ithaca Farmers Marker for anyone looking for a rustic themed wedding with beautiful scenery! -
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Jacqueline Sent on 08/12/2018The Ithaca Farmers Market (IFM) is a wonderful wedding venue! Laura Gallup, the events coordinator, was excellent in helping us get all of our paperwork, event insurance, and vendor details in her hands before the wedding day. Our big day went very smoothly thanks to Laura's collaboration with the caterer, DJ, and photographer my husband and I personally selected.
Highlights of the Ithaca Farmers Market as a wedding venue:
Space: The IFM has plenty of space for tables under the wings, and creates a cozy intimate feel for smaller weddings (our guest count was 100), and we used about half the space in the two wings). The dance floor fits very well in the entrance (dimensions are 15.5 ft x 15.5 ft if you want to rent a dance floor)
Versatility: Any decor will look good at The IFM. We went with solid theme colours for an elegant feel, but a casual folksy decor (checkered prints and wildflowers) would fit the market’s rustic feel perfectly!
Booth Access: Booths are great for the bar, DJ, photo booth, and general storage
Lighting: There are string bulb lights permanently installed at the market
Ceremony Spot: The spot in front of the steamboat landing is a beautiful spot for ceremony and photos
Bathroom Trailer: There are three permanent bathrooms on site, and a bathroom trailer which has six extra stalls for larger weddings (trailer is an additional fee)
Parking: Easily accessible by car and lots of parking space
Flexible with vendors: Laura Gallup is very open to the vendors you select; I would recommend vendors who have catered weddings at the IFM in the past. We hired DJ Dale and H&J Catering, and they were excellent!
Things to consider:
Getting dressed/doing makeup: There is nowhere to get dressed and do your makeup, so I recommend the bridal party arrange to arrive ready to walk down the aisle
Rainy weather: Make a Plan B for the ceremony
We highly recommend the IFM for an outdoor wedding! -
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Jeanne Sent on 06/30/2018We had a lovely summer evening wedding reception at the Ithaca Farmers Market! Our guests were blown away by the setting. With over 50 kids in attendance, there was plenty of room for them to run around, explore and have a fun time! The timing for the Ithaca Farmers Market is limiting (event needs to start after 6pm on the weekends) but it’s worth figuring out an accommodating game plan for this beautiful space!
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Kaylie Sent on 06/14/2018The Farmers Market Pavilion was exactly the venue I wanted--beautiful, simple, and by the water. I love the Market itself and was thrilled to celebrate that love with guests by having the Handfasting and reception at Steamboat Landing.
One warning, though: there is no side coverage, so a storm with winds will bring precipitation and gusts inside the pavilion. A massive thunderstorm during my reception caused a bit of chaos, but my vendors and guests were fantastic when dealing with the storm.
Other than that--which isn't a fault of the venue itself--I highly recommend the Farmers Market pavilion for one's special day!
Photos were taken by the talented Rachel Philipson. -
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Allison Sent on 06/14/2018As a wedding photographer, I knew the lay of the land when planning my own Ithaca wedding, and the Farmers Market was my top choice! We wanted an outdoor wedding but I truly hate vinyl tents, and the market is the perfect venue to feel outdoors but be protected from the elements (from both rain and harsh sun). The setup time restrictions can be daunting, but so many Ithaca vendors are used to it and can pull it off without a hitch. We had our ceremony by the water and our reception in the pavilion, and we worked with a great team that understood the time restrictions of a Saturday market wedding, so setup wasn't an issue. Overall it's a beautiful venue with its own vibe, but also totally flexible and moldable to make it your own!
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![Leora]()
Leora Sent on 06/26/2024Fantastic wedding venue!
We were so happy to get married at the Farmer's Market-- it's a gorgeous venue, and it allowed for plenty of flexibility for our limited budget and eclectic crowd. If you happen to be getting married outdoors in the middle of a record-breaking heatwave, I recommend getting large industrial fans, which made a huge difference, but even just having the breeze off the lake really helped. Market staff was helpful in connecting us with other vendors, as well as offering input on setups that have worked well for other couples. Could not ask for a better setting! -
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Silvia Sent on 12/22/2023
Very special place
Ithaca farmers market was an incredible place to host our weddding. We loved going to the farmers market as college students so it was super special for us to get married in one of our favorite places. We had over 200 guests and the space felt massive still and not crowded. Jordan and her team were amazing to work with! -
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![Madeleine]()
Madeleine Sent on 08/16/2023Perfect wedding venue
I've been dreaming about getting married at the Ithaca Farmers Market for many years -- and all of my wishes came true! The venue is absolutely perfect for a couple looking for an open canvass to play out their wedding dreams. Gorgeous lakeside setting, natural beauty, rustic charm, helpful staff, positive vibes. The place is imbued with magic that I know will follow us for our lifetime to come.
A few notes: As an operating market during the day, this space won't work for someone hoping for a longer/daytime celebration. It also is best for a couple who is up for doing tons of DIY or is ok playing vendor tetris to bring in all needed decor/rentals/etc, since it's not primarily a wedding venue with onsite staff etc. Not a critique, just something to be aware of! -
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![Abigail]()
Abigail Sent on 11/27/2019Such a beautiful and unique venue!
Our wedding at the Ithaca Farmer's Market was exactly what we wanted it to be - a unique and beautiful place to get married that had meaning for us. So many guests complemented us on the venue and how beautiful it was. Because the table set up is long (down the central row of the market), all of our guests preferred to be in the center where we had the dance floor, even if they weren't dancing, so they could be close to the action. It made the reception feel really intimate.
We would highly recommend to anyone looking for a unique venue in the finger lakes. There are some restrictions around start times and stop times for the event but we didn't find that they were too prohibitive and we were able to work around them! -
![Olivia]()
Olivia Sent on 10/07/2017The Ithaca Farmers' Market is a beautiful outdoor (covered) pavilion at the base of Cayuga Lake. It is a very bare-bones venue, so if you choose it you'll be doing a lot of planning. This was fine for me because we loved the venue and I'm very much a type-A planner, but it's something to consider if you're not familiar with event planning.
We lucked out on the weather - it was a high of 80 and sunny - but know that you can't heat the pavilion if it gets cold because you can't use open flame in the pavilion. The pavilion itself is a little dark even with the strung lights lit, so we opted to pay for extra lighting from a vendor to help with that. Our guests loved being able to walk out to the dock to take a break, and we loved having the ceremony outside facing the lake. It worked out wonderfully and I wouldn't do anything different if I did it all again!
Aaron, the manager, was very helpful but took a few days to respond to any of my emails. -
Jolan Sent on 06/19/2024
Gorgeous, adaptable venue!
The IFM is a beautiful venue with a lot of character! In many ways it's a blank slate, which can be decorated however you like. The timing on Saturdays is limited (access at 4pm) due to the morning farmers market, but vendors familiar with the venue will have no issue transforming it in that timeframe! We had a beautiful day, but the pavilion offers plenty of space for a covered ceremony in case of rain. Jordan (the rental coordinator) is very easy to work with and super helpful. Overall, this was the perfect venue for us! -
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![Urshila]()
Urshila Sent on 08/14/2019Perfect local wedding spot!
We loved having our wedding reception at the Ithaca Farmer's Market! Perfectly situated along the waterfront, this location holds a special place in our hearts. We definitely lucked out with the weather and had a wonderful celebration with family and friends! Although the venue is quite affordable, rental costs can add up quickly. However, the space is naturally beautiful and requires limited decor (one way to stay within budget). Laura (events coordinator) was responsive to our questions and offered helpful advice as needed. Overall, we would definitely recommend the market to other couples looking for a wedding venue! -
![Kelly]()
Kelly Sent on 07/17/2019beautiful venue & helpful coordination!
We had the most beautiful day celebrating our wedding (ceremony & reception) at the Ithaca Farmers Market! Having spent many weekends throughout my life at the pavilion for market, we were so excited to make it a part of our special day. Laura, the event coordinator for IFM was so helpful and greatly assisted us in planning out our timeline for the day and providing us with clear and easy instructions to obtain the correct permits for our wedding (given that the space is owned by the City of Ithaca). Given the time constraints for set up, it was super helpful to have an entire vendor team that had each previously worked many market weddings - we highly recommend the Ithaca Farmers Market for events, and would suggest utilizing recommendations that IFM provides for additional vendors (florists, catering, coordinating, etc.) in order for the best possible experience! -
Anna Sent on 08/30/2019
We had such an incredible, unforgettable wedding reception a the Ithaca Farmer's Market!
The Ithaca Farmer's Market was an amazing venue to hold our wedding reception! While different from a traditional venue, it was absolutely gorgeous at night and perfect for a laid-back, incredibly fun wedding.
On our wedding day, while my new husband and I were able to stay clear of the rain at the ceremony location, all of our tables were ruined by the rain. Laura Gallup, the event coordinator at the Farmer's Market came to our rescue and facilitated changing of our table linens with my family before my husband and I arrived at our reception. She made sure that I didn't have to worry about anything.
I absolutely recommend the Ithaca Farmer's Market for your wedding reception! -
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![Savannah]()
Savannah Sent on 09/29/2018IFM is a beautiful venue that feels quintessentially Ithaca. The dock area is a great setting for a waterfront ceremony and the pavilion offers lots of space and flexibility for dinner and a reception. (It also offers a built-in rain plan.) It feels magical after dark when the string lights come on!
You have to do a lot of planning yourself, but the Market has an events coordinator who will advise about the permits you need and do a walk-through before your event. They had some staff turnover early in our planning process, but their new events manager was great to work with.
Things that might be drawbacks for some people are the lack of existing furniture and supplies—we had to rent everything ourselves—and the tight window for setup. We were allowed to start setup at 4pm for a 5:30pm wedding. They also require you to end your event at midnight and remove all trash yourself, so we'd advise having your caterer help with that.
Overall we would highly recommend the Market. We got lots of compliments on the venue, felt like it was totally ours during our wedding, and were treated to an amazing sunset over the lake! -
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