33 Best Places to Shop in Washington, USA

One of the largest farmers' markets in the Northwest, this wildly popular event (held Saturdays and Sundays from mid-March through late October) in leafy Esther Short Park features some 220 vendors offering up everything from crafts and gifts to produce, baked goods, artisan coffee, and a wide range of short-order snacks and foods. There's always live music and great people-watching. A smaller Fall Market takes place here on Saturdays from November through late December.

Since 1980, this enormous three-story bookstore has been an anchor of Fairhaven, bringing literary-minded folks together to shop for recent releases, attend readings and discussions, and socialize amid the shop's several spaces for eating and mingling. These include the Colophon Cafe (a full-service restaurant) and Evolve Chocolate + Cafe on the top floor, whose seating areas have grand views of Bellingham Bay. There's a newer branch in downtown Lynden.

Located in a renovated warehouse along the Columbia River, this market offers specialty food products, fresh produce from nearby farms, artisanal cheeses, seafood, coffee, gelato, and charcuterie, as well as a few restaurants and gift shops. It's been likened to an eastern Washington version of the much larger and older Pike Place Market in Seattle.