I’m so excited to be back in Washington DC, especially because it’s October – I’ve always wanted to be in the USA at this time of year to witness pumpkin fever first hand. The Sunday FRESHFARM market at Dupont Circle is just a couple of blocks from my hotel and so it made sense to pay them a visit and sample some of the freshest seasonal produce. I couldn’t wait to see colourful, autumnal displays of pumpkins and gourds and the market did not disappoint – I just wish I could take some of those beautifully ugly gourds home!

Of course there’s more than just pumpkins at this market – you can find all sorts of seasonal veggies. I know a lot of people who aren’t sure when certain fruits and vegetables are in season because everything is stocked in supermarkets all year round, but it’s so clear what’s in season when you walk around a market like this!

The Spring Valley Farm and Orchard stall had plates of samples so that you could taste some of the different apple varieties – I found this so helpful as there were so many different types I wouldn’t have known where to start otherwise! I tried a sample of their honeycrisp apple variety and instantly fell in love. It was so sweet, light, crunchy and juicy and I ended up coming away with a small bag to snack on during my trip.

Another stall that caught my eye was Gardener’s Gourmet – I loved the huge bucketfuls of all manner of fresh herbs from cilantro to African blue basil.

The fresh produce you can find is second to none, but there are plenty of other stalls selling baked goods, meats and cheeses, and more. I picked up this delicious blueberry scone from Old World Breads which was so buttery and soft but still suitably crumbly. I found it so difficult to choose from their huge range of mouthwatering options including pecan shortbread, brown butter sandwich cookies, almond bliss cookies, and cinnamon crumb cake.

Dupont Circle FRESHFARM Market is open on Sundays from 8:30 until 13:30 at 20th St NW between Massachusetts Ave. and Hillyer Pl. The market at Dupont Circle is one of many FRESHFARM markets that happen all around DC on different days depending on their location. Find out more about FRESHFARM markets here (this is not a sponsored post).