Tomball - Magnolia Edition | January 2026

Community

BY NICHAELA SHAHEEN

On a Saturday morning in Old Town Tomball, rst-time visitors stand out for about ve minutes, right up until they realize they didn’t bring enough bags. “They’re going to be overwhelmed and realize they didn’t bring enough stu, enough bags,” Tom- ball Farmers Market Manager Amanda Kelly said, describing what newcomers can expect as they walk into a market that stretches across multiple rows and pulls in everything from fresh produce and eggs to prepared foods and artisan goods. Kelly said that big, bustling scene didn’t exist when the market began in May 2008 with ve ven- dors. Today, the market has a total of 97 vendors, with up to 80 set up on a given Saturday, depending on how many farmers are in the mix. Two-minute impact To call yourself a farmers market, Kelly said, at least one certication is needed, meaning an outside agency has reviewed the market’s rules and operations and recognizes it under a formal program or directory. Tomball Farmers Market, she said, chose to go “above and beyond” because of what she said is an obligation to the public to be “as clean” as possible and to bring in the most local products it can. Kelly said products must be grown, raised, handcrafted or prepared within a 180-mile radius, and prospective vendors must have already spent at least a year and a half at another market. Why it matters Kelly described the market as an incubator for local small businesses that aren’t quite ready, nan- cially or operationally, for a brick-and-mortar leap. Over the last decade, Kelly said 31 businesses have outgrown the market and moved into brick- and-mortar spaces, including Chefs Providence and Della Casa Pasta and 12 others in Tomball. The foot trac isn’t just big, it’s regional, accord- ing to a survey Kelly said she conducts every couple of years. In the most recent results she referenced, 58% of visitors came from Katy and Cypress, while 13% came from Tomball. Looking ahead Kelly said the farmers market’s future goals include expanding garden-focused programs and building pathways for more residents to grow and sell food locally. Tomball Farmers Market sprouts with growth, with nearly 100 vendors

PHOTOS COURTESY TOMBALL FARMERS MARKET The market has a total of 97 vendors, with up to 80 set up on a given Saturday.

The Tomball Farmers Market is open Saturdays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., rain or shine.

The market’s future goals include expanding garden- focused programs and building pathways for more residents to grow and sell food locally.

205 W. Main St., Tomball www.tomballfarmersmarket.org

Kelly said 31 businesses have outgrown the market, moving into brick-and-mortar spaces.

TOMBALL MAGNOLIA EDITION