Baltimore Farmers' Market opens Sunday

The 37th annual Baltimore Farmers' Market and Bazaar opens on Sunday.

Opening day of the market, which is located underneath the Jones Falls Expressway on Saratoga Street between Holliday and Gay streets, has turned into a springtime ritual in Baltimore.

This is the fourth year that the market is opening on the first Sunday in April -- the opening weekend had been in May -- and regular market-goers have learned not to come looking for strawberries and peaches.  But it's usually a great day for picking up piles of winter greens and for stocking up on herbs.

And it's also an opportunity to meet up again, after a long, cold winter, with some of the market's delicious prepared foods -- mushroom sandwiches, falafel, samosas and biscuit sandwiches.

Click on the gallery above for a look at our Top 10 eats at the Baltimore Farmers' Market and Bazaar.

Sunday's opening will be celebrated with music from the Baltimore Islanders Steel Band. Local food personality Chef Egg (aka Erik Berlin) will present cooking demonstrations near the Saratoga Street entrance.

The Baltimore City Master Gardeners of the University of Maryland Extension will share advice on starting and improving gardens. And Baltimore City Recreation and Parks will offer residents free trees for their homes and businesses through its TreeBaltimore organization.

The vendor list is still being finalized, but there is virtually no turnover from 2013, according to the market's producer, the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts. A few established vendors are coming back with new products. Hen's Nest is bringing duck, and KCC Natural Farms will have rabbit this year.

The Sunday market opens at 7 a.m. and continues until noon, or sell-out -- whichever comes first. For information, call 410-752-8632 or go to promotionandarts.org.