The Bloomington Community Farmers Market welcomes shoppers and vendors Saturday mornings from May through October, and Tuesday evenings from June through September. Beautiful displays of Indiana-grown produce transform the Common into a canvas painted with the brilliant hues of nature's bounty. Shoppers enjoy buying from the farmers and backyard gardeners who grow the produce they sell and who often share their favorite recipes for preparing it. The Market offers an amazing diversity of produce: honey, wild mushrooms, herbs, oriental vegetables, persimmons, edible flowers, heirloom peppers, maple syrup and gooseberries, to name only some of the unusual offerings. Of course, the staples are there as well: tomatoes, corn, watermelon, pumpkins, and all the rest as only Indiana can grow them. Along with the fresh Indiana-grown produce, the Market offers fresh cut flowers, fresh-baked bread and live musical performances. Host to over 2,500 visitors per day, the Market is the place to be on Saturday morning. Friends meet at the Market Caf_, where they enjoy coffee and pastries in the festive ambiance of the Market. The Market also serves as a center for community activity and information dissemination. A wide variety of community organizations set up tables to register voters, hand out literature, or to discuss political or social issues.

The market is located in downtown Bloomington and is accessible by foot, auto and public transportation.

The feel of the market as you approach is one of community. Seating is available in the Market Caf_, and there are also a few benches throughout the market. The area is regularly maintained and cleaned of all litter.

Showers Common is used primarily for the Farmers Market but can also be rented out for public use. For example, the Chamber of Commerce puts on a "Taste of Bloomington" there every year.

The market is a social occasion for many of its patrons. Patrons range in age and ethnicity. Many international students from Indiana University find that the Market is similar to traditional markets in their home countries.