Central Market - York, PA

Central Market in downtown York is located along Philadelphia and North Beaver Streets.  It's simple to get to from Route 30 in York, by taking George Street into the city and turning right onto Philadelphia Street.  There is a large parking garage across the street from the Market, and it's free to park on Saturdays.  We visited the Market on a very cold Saturday morning.

We entered the historic Market using the doors along Philadelphia Street, and the 3-year-old immediately saw the candy shop.  Our rule for trips to the Market is that she must walk up and down all the aisles before she decides what she'd like to purchase.  We kept her walking and enjoyed looking at all of the fresh vegetables, delicious desserts, and crafts for sale from the wide variety of vendors.

Eventually, we made our way to YorKitchen, which is a commercial kitchen incubator that has activities for kids on Saturdays.  Since this weekend was Superbowl Sunday, the kids had to throw a football through a goal to win a prize, which was a small football.  There were also a few other cute games for them to play.  Usually the activity includes decorating food in some way, for example on Valentine's Day weekend they decorate rice krispie treats with chocolate and sprinkles.

After seeing all of the goodies that the Market had to offer, the 3-year-old decided that candy was her choice for a treat, and we headed back to the candy stand.  There are various bags of candy, most $1, but ranging up from there.  Normally, she picks a cookie from a bakery stand, and now and then we get a pretzel wrapped hot dog.  There is plenty of kid-friendly foods at the Market, as well as many exotic treats to keep adults happy.  There are tables throughout, though the best seating location is a small loft overlooking the entire Market.

The Market is a great place to wonder around with the kids on a Saturday morning or early afternoon (they close at 2 PM), but there are also special events for kids throughout the year.  These events include a special New Year's Eve kids countdown; the Market is also a great place to get a treat before or after the York Saint Patrick's Day parade on Saturday, March 14th.

Things to Remember:
1.  If it's warm outside, bring a cooler to keep the goodies you buy cold until you get home.
2.  Check the YorKitchen website to confirm hours for the kid's activities.
3.  There are other small shops to check out around the Market, so consider walking the streets a bit.