Enjoy the Unique Food and Culture of the Pennsylvania Dutch Without Having to Travel Too Far

The Pennsylvania Dutch community is one of the many interesting aspects of Pennsylvania that sets it apart from other states.  The Amish reside mostly in Lancaster County, which is about two hours west of Philadelphia. However, you do not have to travel too far from the city to experience the culture of the Pennsylvania Dutch.

Newtown Farmer's Market

Address: 

2150 South Eagle Road
Newtown, PA 18940

Hours:

Thursday: 9:00am - 6:00 pm
Friday: 9:00am - 7:00pm
Saturday: 9:00am - 4:00pm

Market closed the rest of the week.

Newtown Farmer's Market Entrance

The Newtown Pennsylvania Dutch Farmer's Market contains 16 unique vendors that offer very interesting foods in which they are unique to the Amish and other specialty vendors.  To give a comparison, the Newtown Farmer's Market has a very similar set-up as the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia. However, almost all of the vendors in the Newtown Farmer's Market are from the Dutch community.

Riehl's Bakery Inside the Market

One of my favorite places to stop at on my stroll through the Newtown Farmer's Market is Riehl's Bakery. Pictured above are Riehl's homemade pies.  If you love fresh, homemade sweet treats you must stop by Riehl's Bakery. They have the freshest pies you will ever buy. They also sell cakes, cheesecakes, cookies, breads and sugar free pies.

Not only can you find sweet treat vendors at the market, but also seafood, candy, falafel, soft pretzels, vegetables/fruit and sushi vendors are available.  What is so interesting about the Newtown Farmer's Market is that you can see the Amish making the food right in front of you.  If you want to relax and eat your Dutch food, plenty of sitting areas are available around the market. It is a great place to stroll through to enjoy the Pennsylvania Dutch culture.

Rice's Sales and Country Market

Address:

6326 Greenhill Road
New Hope, PA 18938

Hours:

Open all year round on Tuesday: 7:00am - 1:00pm
Open Saturday's March - December: 7:00am - 1:00pm

Rice's Market Shops in the Barn

Rice's Market origins begin back in 1860 when A.L. Rice arrived in Solebury Township, PA. He settled on a farm, which is now the location of the 30 acre Rice's Market. He began to auction off his livestock products.  Word spread about Mr. Rice's auction, and soon neighbors and other farmers brought their products to the farm to get auctioned off.

Rice's Market Fruit Vendor

In the 1950's, a market portion of the auction was added, and it rapidly grew to 400 vendors, which sold a variety of products.  The evolution of the market started with it being a mainly produce market to it now being a bargain shopping market.

Today, Rice's vendors sell products from home goods, antiques, clothes, handbags and even handmade home decor all at reasonable prices.  It is now the oldest and largest outdoor market in Bucks County. Approximately 8,000 people visit Rice's Market per week.  It has been a bargain shopper and tourist destination for many years.

Rice's Market Wicker Country Collage

Rice's Market Antiques

So, who needs Canal Street when you have Rice's Market? Rice's is a great outdoor market that sells anything your heart desires.  Do you want a Gucci bag? No problem. Stop by one of the many vendors that sell "designer" handbags to get a great deal.

Here is the list of products at Rice's Market.

Rice's Market Handbags

My favorite aspect of Rice's is the clothes and handbags the vendors sell.  Although the prices are low, make sure to bring along your bartering skills to get the best bargain shopping price you can. Be sure to check out the indoor shops, which sells furniture, home decor and food.

If you are looking for a specific product, look through the merchant directory to find what you are looking for, and here is the market layout in case you get lost.

Rice's also has paved walkways, so it is wheelchair assessable and pet-friendly too.

Have an interesting product or produce that you think people would love? You can become a Rice's Market vendor by clicking here to find out what the prices are. Rice's shoppers are always looking for new and interesting products to buy, so consider selling at Rice's.

For more information and to view Rice's photo gallery be sure to visit Rice's main page.