The first Colorado strawberries of the season hit the Boulder Farmers Market last weekend, and honestly, I ate the entire pint in my car before I even made it back to the highway. That’s the thing about June in Colorado — the window for these local food finds is brief and beautiful, and this is exactly when I start planning my weekend market runs around what’s actually in season.
If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to dive into Colorado’s local food scene, this is it. June offers one of the year’s shortest but sweetest windows for peak-season produce, fresh artisan launches, and farmers market discoveries that won’t be available in a few short weeks. I’ve spent the last month running between farm stands, talking to makers, and filling my fridge with the best of what our state grows — and I’m breaking it all down for you here.
Spring Produce Worth the Drive to Colorado Farms
Let’s start with what actually grows here, because Colorado’s high-altitude growing conditions create some seriously distinctive flavors that you simply won’t find imported from California or Mexico.
Advertisement
Early Season Strawberries from Western Slope U-Picks
If you’re willing to make the drive to the Western Slope — about 4 hours from Denver — the u-pick strawberry operations near Palisade open their gates in late May through June, and this is one Colorado food experience worth planning a weekend around. The Chandler and Honeoye varieties grown in that region don’t ship well to grocery stores, which means what you pick yourself tastes nothing like what you’ve been buying in plastic clamshells. These berries are softer, intensely sweet, and have that almost floral quality that disappears after 24 hours of travel.
Pro tip: go early in the morning, bring cash, and don’t bother with the berry farms that charge admission on top of weight — stick to the family operations that just charge per pound. The Palisade Farmers Market on Saturdays (9am-1pm, 3rd and Main Street) has several u-pick farms selling pre-picked berries if you’re not up for the drive.
Colorado Asparagus at Peak Freshness
Colorado-grown asparagus typically peaks from mid-May through June, and if you’ve only ever had asparagus from the grocery store, you’re missing out on what this vegetable actually tastes like. The Front Range farms along the I-25 corridor, particularly around Wellington and Berthoud, supply fresh asparagus to farm stands and CSA programs that you can find at the Saturday Union Station market. Look for firm, bright green stalks with compact, tightly closed tips — the moment asparagus starts to bend or the tips start to flower, you’ve lost that fresh-picked intensity.
I’m going to be honest: the asparagus at the big farmers markets gets picked over pretty quickly by restaurant buyers who arrive before individual shoppers. If you want the best selection, get there by 9am, or better yet, stop by farm stands directly — many farms along Larimer County Road 5 have unpretentious wooden carts with handwritten prices where you’ll find vegetables that never made it to market.
Spring Greens and Microgreens from Local Hoophouses
Denver’s urban farming scene has exploded over the past few years, and the hoop houses in neighborhoods like Athmar Park are producing spring mix, arugula, and microgreens that reach restaurants within 24 hours of harvest. The Gullyway Farm in that area has become a quiet supplier to some of Denver’s best farm-to-table restaurants, but they also sell directly to the public at the Old South Pearl Sunday Market. Their peppery arugula has a bite that makes grocery store spring mix taste like wet cardboard by comparison.
Grant Family Farms near Wellington has been running a CSA program for over two decades, and their spring boxes include varieties of lettuce, spinach, and Asian greens that you simply won’t find packaged anywhere else. Their farm stand on County Road 5 is open Tuesday through Sunday, and unlike the crowded farmers markets, you can take your time, ask questions about growing methods, and actually enjoy the experience without fighting for parking.
Denver Artisan Food Makers Launching Spring Specialties
Colorado’s artisan food makers are some of the most passionate people I’ve ever met in this industry, and June is when they release their limited batches of seasonal products. Here’s where to find them.
Small-Batch Jams with Spring Fruit
The Colorado Jam Company in Longmont typically releases their spring batches in late May, featuring strawberry-rhubarb and apricot varieties made with fruit sourced within 100 miles. I picked up a jar of their strawberry-rhubarb at the Boulder Farmers Market last month, and the color alone tells you this isn’t your standard grocery store jam — we’re talking deep ruby red with visible fruit chunks. Their operation is small enough that batches sell out, so don’t wait until the end of June to hunt these down.
Watch out for vendors at the Saturday markets who are selling “homemade” jam but can’t tell you where their fruit came from. The good makers are proud of their sourcing and will tell you exactly which farm supplied their strawberries. If they get vague about location, move on.
Local Honey Harvests and Wildflower Varietals
Aurora-based Bee Ready Honey collects wildflower honey during June when clover and alfalfa bloom across Colorado’s eastern plains. This light amber variety is notably different from the darker fall batches — it’s floral, almost citrusy, and doesn’t crystallize as quickly as commercial honey. You’ll find them at the Highlands Ranch Farmers Market and directly through their website, but the real treat is catching them at the Union Station market where they do free tastings of their different varietals.
One honest downside to buying honey at farmers markets: it’s not always labeled with the exact apiary location. If you have bee allergies or want truly local honey for allergy purposes, ask the vendor specific questions about which neighborhoods their bees forage in. The good producers keep detailed records and actually appreciate that you’re asking.
Chocolate Makers Working with Colorado Ingredients
Fruition Chocolate in Idaho Springs has built a reputation for incorporating Colorado ingredients into seasonal bonbon releases — think lavender from farms in the Cache la Poudre valley, Boulder County honey, and spirits from state distilleries. Their spring collection typically features lighter, floral-infused chocolates that suit the season, and their little shop on Idaho Springs’ main street (arium 287, to be exact) is worth the drive if you’re doing the Peak to Peak Highway anyway.
What I appreciate about Fruition is their transparency about sourcing — they clearly label which ingredients come from Colorado and which are their ethically-sourced cacao base. Not every chocolate maker does this, and in a state with as much agricultural pride as Colorado, it matters.
Farmers Market Finds You Shouldn’t Skip This June
Colorado’s farmers markets can be overwhelming if you don’t have a strategy. Let me save you from wandering in circles, because the difference between a good market trip and a great one comes down to knowing where to go and when.
Union Station Saturday Market Essentials
The Union Station Farmers Market runs Saturday mornings from 8am to 2pm, typically May through October, and features over 100 vendors spread throughout the station’s surrounding plaza and underground parking area. The parking garage is free for the first hour but gets congested fast — I either arrive before 9am or take the light rail. This market is where you’ll find Palisade peach producers bringing early stone fruit, fresh eggs from Erie farms, and specialty mushroom cultivators like Colorado Mushroom Farm whose shiitakes have that satisfying meaty texture grocery store versions lack.
The biggest mistake people make at Union Station is going straight to the most crowded vendors. Circle the entire market first — some of the best produce is at the perimeter booths operated by smaller farmers who can’t afford the premium spots near Wynkoop Street.
Neighborhood Market Standout Vendors
The Old South Pearl Sunday Market (3500 South Pearl Street, running 9am-1pm) and the Highlands Ranch Farmers Market (at Redstone Park, 1800 West Maplewood Avenue, 9am-1pm) offer smaller-scale producer access where farmers often bring surplus spring produce not found at larger markets. This is where I’ve found the best deals on early tomatoes and fresh herbs, and where vendors actually have time to chat about what they’re growing. The Pearl Street market especially has a neighborhood feel that the downtown Union Station market has lost as it’s gotten more touristy.
Boulder Farmers Market Spring Highlights
Boulder Farmers Market on Saturday mornings (8am-2pm, 13th Street between Canyon and Arapahoe) showcases local mushroom cultivators, greenhouse-grown spring vegetables, and Colorado cheese makers including caseinated products from MouCo Cheese in Fort Collins. Their cheese selection is genuinely impressive — MouCo’s Buche Noire has that soft, edible rind that requires real skill to cultivate, and you’ll rarely find it as fresh anywhere else in the state.
One thing to know about Boulder market: it gets absolutely packed by 10am, and the good produce sells out fast. The parking situation downtown is terrible unless you want to pay $15-20 in the garage. I take the Boulder Flatiron Flyer bus from Denver, which drops you right at the market and eliminates the parking headache entirely.
Colorado Craft Beverages Perfect for June Cooking
Local beverages are having a moment in Colorado, and some of the best finds aren’t at the grocery store — they’re at the source.
Local Spirits for Seasonal Cocktails
Distilleries including Laws Whiskey House in Denver (4001 Wynkoop Street in the RiNo Art District) and Montanya Distillers in Crested Butte (136 East Georgia Avenue) produce seasonal releases using Colorado-grown ingredients. Montanya’s oreganum gin works exceptionally well in spring cocktail recipes featuring local herbs — their distillery tasting room in Crested Butte is one of the most charming in the state, with exposed brick walls and a patio overlooking Elk Avenue.
Laws Whiskey House offers tours and tastings that include their full portfolio, and their grain-to-glass approach means you can taste the Colorado terroir in ways you can’t with mass-produced spirits. Their Rad Wine Bar adjacent location at the same address is perfect for a post-tour dinner, and they often feature local cheese and charcuterie pairings designed specifically for their spirits.
Colorado-Made Vinegars and Shrubs
Vital Root in Denver (5255 West 38th Avenue in the Berkeley neighborhood) crafts drinking vinegars and shrubs using seasonal produce that make for refreshing non-alcoholic options or cocktail additions during warm June evenings. Their beet shrub has become a staple in my refrigerator — mixed with sparkling water over ice, it tastes like a more interesting version of the fancy tonic sodas they charge $6 for in restaurants.
These drinking vinegars aren’t cheap (expect to pay $14-18 for a small bottle), but they last forever in the fridge and replace a dozen different mixers. The Berkeley neighborhood location has free street parking on Saturdays, which makes picking up a few bottles while running other errands convenient.
Small-Batch Hot Sauces and Condiments
Boulder-based Búrial Hot Sauce and Pueblo’s Ms. B’s BBQ Sauce represent the range of Colorado hot sauce makers incorporating local ingredients. Búrial’s verde variety uses Colorado hatch green chiles when in season, giving it a different heat profile than their standard releases. You can find Búrial at both the Boulder and Denver farmers markets, typically near the prepared food vendors.
Ms. B’s has been a Pueblo institution for decades and their sauce has that deep, smoky complexity that comes from using local chiles and cooking in small batches. Their shop on Thatcher Avenue in Pueblo (open Tuesday-Saturday) is worth the drive if you’re heading to the Royal Gorge or catching a Sky Sox game, and their staff will give you samples until you find exactly the heat level you want.
Where to Find These Colorado Spring Food Finds
Now that you know what to look for, here’s how to actually get your hands on it without spending your entire weekend driving in circles.
Planning Your Farmers Market Route
The most efficient Saturday route combines Union Station Farmers Market (8am-2pm, 1700 Wynkoop Street) with nearby farm stand stops along the way back. Platt Park’s Harvest House (1895 South Pearl Street) and LoDo’s Wild Provisions (1611 Platte Street) offer extended hours for grabbing items you missed at market. The Pearl Street location is particularly convenient — there’s usually street parking available on the side streets if you hit it right, and their refrigerated section has products from many of the same farms you saw at Union Station.
I’ll be honest: if you’re trying to hit the Union Station market plus Boulder market on the same Saturday, you’re setting yourself up for frustration. Boulder is a 45-minute drive from Denver without traffic, and you’ll spend more time in your car than enjoying either market. Pick one per weekend and do it right. Related: Why I Started Modern Gingham: A Colorado Food Story
Supporting Local Through CSA Programs
Colorado CSA programs including Rocky Mountain Farmers Union Cooperative’s multi-farm boxes and Boulder-based Aspen Moon Farm subscriptions deliver spring produce weekly June through October, with many offering half-share options for smaller households. Aspen Moon Farm’s pickup locations include spots in Boulder, Longmont, and Denver’s Wash Park neighborhood, making it accessible even if you don’t live near the farm.
The commitment level of a CSA isn’t for everyone — you’re getting what’s in season, which means you might end up with 3 pounds of zucchini one week and wonder what the heck to do with it. But it’s also how I discovered I actually love kohlrabi, which I never would have bought at a market. Most farms offer trial shares or early-season commitments that let you test whether CSA life suits you before locking in for the full summer.
Artisan Shops and Specialty Grocers Worth the Trip
Specialty shops like The Italian Stock in Highlands (2642 West 32nd Avenue) and Table Top Food in Cherry Creek North (2500 East 1st Avenue) stock Colorado artisan products year-round, making them reliable resources when farmers markets aren’t operating. The Italian Stock has an incredible selection of imported Italian goods alongside Colorado-made olive oils and balsamic vinegars — their staff knows both their imported products and local makers intimately, which is rare.
Table Top Food has been a Cherry Creek institution since 1972 and carries everything from local honeys to small-batch granola. Their bulk spice section is exceptional, and they often carry seasonal items like Boulder-based Raspberry Creek’s infused vinegars that you won’t find at bigger grocery stores.
June in Colorado is fleeting — the strawberry season will be over before you know it, and asparagus gives way to summer squash and tomatoes before you’re ready. This is the month to get out there, try something new from a local maker, and maybe sign up for that CSA you’ve been considering. You don’t have to overhaul your entire grocery routine — just pick one new Colorado food find this weekend and see where it takes you. That’s how this whole thing starts, and honestly, that’s how it stays fun.
The farmers markets aren’t going anywhere, the makers will keep creating, and the farms will keep growing. But right now, in this specific window of June 2026, there’s something on the table that won’t be there in August. Go get it.