Barton Creek Farmers Market

This is the largest Farmer’s Market in the South Austin area, at least that I am aware of. A Saturday morning visit to this market is a great family or date activity any time of the year. They have a diverse selection of vendors; from baked goods to produce, all the way to CBD and candles. Many people bring their dogs along to stroll around the many vendor tents. There is also a fantastic view of the downtown Austin skyline and plenty of parking.

I love this market. Do not miss Peace cheese - the best vegan cheese. This is such a laid back market. Beautiful produce, great breads, live plants, kombucha, artisan chocolate, locally raised meat, handmade soaps and more. Quiet relaxing music, great parking.

Excellent farmers market with a variety of booths and vendors, providing top notch quality foods and prepackaged foods. We walked around with our dogs and it’s close proximity to the parking lot in the mall makes it an excellent place to shop.

This is a substantial Farmers Market situated just 5 miles from Downtown Austin with a vast variety of vendors. I popped in for a quick look on my way to see Shrek 2's 20th Anniversary at AMC and was glad to see a great turn out here. Since the market is in a mall parking lot, parking was really easy. (I typically avoid downtown farmers markets simply because of parking.) For my first visit to Austin on a quick weekend trip, I couldn't endulge, but did try a couple of places. First, Jeany's Caribbean Elixirs. I had a Soursop and Tamarindo juice with lite agave. It was nice, freshing, and reasonably priced. She has a lot of nice juices but I chose elixirs that have rare and hard to comeby ingredients. She offered samples for all of them and seemingly you can't go wrong with choosing any of them. Next, I stopped at Big Brazos, for some pecans, in honor of my quick visit to The Monkey Tree yesterday, which is a magnificent pecan tree. Mr. David, the owner, was very helpful and friendly, he allowed me to sample his selection of Honey, Cinnamon, Raw, Hot, Coconut, and Dulce de Leche pecans. I chose a package of Honey for sweetness and a package of Hot since I like things spicy. Both were very nice and fresh, not too sweet and smooth mild heat. His jars of honey also seems to be a very popular item amongst the locals as a few people stopped by asking specifically for it. Overall all, a great vendor. I enjoyed my conversation with Mr. David, he broke the ice by wondering if I was shy by my soft spoken nature, and he ended up giving me an inspirational introduction to Austin. I don't plan on moving to Texas but I enjoyed hearing his story of how he and his significant other (rest beautiful soul Rachel) purchased an abundance of land to live off of. I'm glad to see farmers and natural producers thriving. Enjoy!

Solid farmers market. Probably about 50 vendors this weekend. Went on a Saturday morning at 10am and took a video walkthrough of the whole thing. They got everything from: BQQ Honey Granola Fruits Vegetables Olive oil Juices Coffee Chocolate Wheat grass Bread Mushrooms Wine Cheese Linens Boba And live music! I like how all the different store owners have their own vibe and most of them have prices displayed which makes it easy to walk around. They close at 1 so get there early!

Everything is awesome. Fresh fruits, veggies, pies, jams OMG cheesecake! Handcrafted stunning jewelry....plants, even raw meat dog food and treats. You just have to check it out yourself!

It's not bad... Not too many farmers though. Most stuff seems pretty good, most things fairly pricey though

One of the best farmers markets in Austin. It's pet and family friendly with great parking and a wide range of vendors.

I don't remember the date, been meaning to post for a while, but I stopped by this market to find the market manager (Salila I was told) yelling as some local farmers at their booth right in front of the whole crowd, for something that was completely out if their control. She was argumentative and wouldn't let them speak. I told the farmers that I was so sorry that they were bullied by her. I will not be returning, for I cannot put up with bullies who would do that to their vendors while they are trying to make a living. Very unprofessional, Salila! EDIT: Salila, you are absolutely wrong in your comment below, and your unprofessional tirade against these farmers was not anything about wind or tents. You were throwing a childish hissy fit in front of your vendors and patrons. You embarrassed them as well as yourself, and you should be ashamed. I hear it's just like you to not take responsibility for anything, and it's true. Many of your vendors don't trust you and would rather you just quit before you do any more damage to the market. That's why you can't get vendors to stick around for long. Get over yourself.

So happy I came today. I've been wanting to come. But I either work on Saturdays and miss it, or Saturday is my only day off and I'm running errands, and miss it. Today I made a point to stop by. So happy I did. I found everyone so wonderful. All the venders were helpful, love their story. And loved their products. I also want to say, this is dog friendly. I saw so many dogs here. All well behaved dogs. One end of the market there was a gentleman singing with his guitar. There are some tables set up under a tent for shade. You can sit and eat and listen to the music. I was very happy with the parking lot too. It's at a mall, so there's plenty of parking. I walked away with this delicious blueberry juice in a mason jar, from SONSHINES. So happy to bring that home and have it on a hot day. Extremely refreshing. I also got a big bag of granola from DAD'S PREMIUM GRANOLA (Austin Manna) flavor. I did try a sample there, and it was good. But when I got home, I actually sprinkled it over some plain yogurt and was like whoa, this tastes even better then the sample. I had to try a handful without the yogurt, and was just amazed how wonderful it taste on its own. It was sweet but not too sweet, it was addicting. I ended up having a few handfuls as a snack later. Highly recommend. Also I bought some beets from SIMPLE PROMISE FARMS. They are a donation organization and I was very happy to hear their story. I highly recommend you ask about their story. It was touching and we truly need more people like this in the world. We should have more people like this on social media and news and newspapers. I found a wonderfully large zucchini that I can't wait to grill. And I'm so sorry, but I forgot who the vender was. He was a young gentlemen. I'm looking forward to making dinner tomorrow with my steamed beets and grilled zucchini. Wonderful experience at the The Farmers Market today.

Nothing like a giant cup of crushed lemonade on a hot and humid day! I love how the Farmer's Market will always have so many options to choose from and the Barton Creek Farmer's Market is so close to downtown!

The farmers market to go to hungry. They have the best options for ready to eat food. From dumplings or pierogis to pork sandwiches and all the goodies in between I'm sure you will find something your tastebuds will enjoy.

We stop by every time we are in Austin on a Saturday. Lots of booths with fresh veggies, prepared foods, plants, and dog treats. Last time we got a açaí bowl and my toddler got to hold a baby quail! There is a Thai stall that sells packs with ingredients to make your meal at home! Parking : plentiful Dog and kid friendly!

Plenty of booths, 3 rows. Parking is easy since it's at the barton creek mall. There was live music. I wish there was more fruits and veggies, I barely saw any fruit there which is what I came for (I wanted fruit for jam). Everyone friendly, there's cut and potted flowers to choose from. There's meat, veggies, herbs, jewelry, purses, lotions etc. Personally my favorites were the Brazilian bread 3 for $5, they are like small buns) and the local eggs- where we even pet the chickens! Sweet local farmer too.

Very few fresh veggies. Mostly prepared foods or kits. Some crafts. Live music. Frozen meat. Everything is Very pricey. Ruthie's yogurt keeps me coming back. It's truly addictive. Very friendly vendors hawking their wares. I feel bad just walking past without interacting but I'd hate to waste their time when I'm really not interested in their product.

Love this farmers market! Great vendors, food, coffee, kombucha and live music. I get most of my red meat directly from farmers at the market. There's something about knowing where your food comes from and supporting your local economy. Bring your kids , bring your dog. A great way to spend your Saturday morning.

its ridiculously expensive, esp the flowers. He wanted to charge me $25 for a stem of flower named king protea while last saturday he sold it to my sister-in-law at $10. And brisket is more expensive than Terry Black's BBQ! I know it tends to be a bit expensive but not like that. However, the bakers there are quite reasonable.

Pretty good farmer's market if you're in the area. Not huge, but had lots of parking (next to the mall) and a good number of tents selling vegetables, coffee, plants, and pastries. I got six vegan dumplings straight from the flat top for $9 (tasty, but HOT). Not much in the way of seating. I think I only saw one bench.

It was a Saturday. I wanted to do something. So I looked up farmers markets and bingo! For 6 bucks I got a crap ton of serranos and okra from this eclectic little farmer. And then big ole Johnson's wooed me with their party pan squash and eggplant. All of which will go into a lovely ratatouille :) I picked up some eggs from vital farms---I still think $6 for a dozen eggs is a lot, but---if it means the chickens aren't crammed into crates and jam packed into barns, I'll shell it out. Lots of dogs milling around with their owners. If you eat meat there a couple of options for you from chicken to beef to shrimp. The only crap part for me, is that a few of the vendors don't accept credit cards, so you'll miss out a a good deal of products if you don't remember to bring cash.

As most farmers do, this one does an excellent job of making sure you don't have 30 options of the same item. There's plenty of produce to choose from, not just one or two place that run out quickly. And everything else that isn't straight produce is obviously vetted. There's a pastry place, and a gluten free cake maker (, and other yummy bread options - but us g free people have options, too. so nice. There's also a guy who makes cheese from scratch, and another who has great salsas, then the coffee people (a brother and sister) who know so much about coffee it's rediculous. I like this location as it also has plenty of space to walk around and not feel like sardines up against other people shopping and there's live music as well!

Barton Creek Farmers Market is just wonderful. Fresh, beautiful veggies grown close to home baked products breads and pastries, meats, poultry and sometimes lobsters and many, many other artisan products. And you get to meet the farmers. And there is music and entertainment and samples. Everyone should go and support our farmers who work so hard to provide organic wonderful products for our families. And the farmers love to educate us on how things grow and animals are raised. Great for children and adults. Wonderful fun for the entire family.

A lot of fun for shopping and browsing. Good to get up and go have breakfast and listen to whoever's playing that day. Some of the vendors are a little pricey and I would think they'd realise many of them make things other people can {everyone can tie dye maybe not well but anyone *can*} and would adjust their prices accordingly - I have never seen anything other than "regular people" in attendance not Buffy Vander Yuppie. I'm bummed any trip to Austin that I cannot go just to see what's new and some good people/dog watching. I am sure other markets have other things but that's why you research the places you want to go so when you arrive you do not feel as though you've wasted your time.

LOVE this Farmers Market! I've been going every week for over a year now! It's the best! Love all the produce and products they have! My go too is the mircogreens from righteous greens and jbg farmers for all my veggies! Always great Raw dog food by Jake and blue!

Definitely recommend stopping by this farmers market. They have a lady selling really cool shirts, they have plants and veggies, a bbq vendor, and lots of other fresh food places that are a must try.

The more I walked around here, the more I liked it. I actually thought the notion of having a Saturday morning farmer's market in a mall parking lot was silly, but they've made it work here. It's easy to get in and out, it's easy to park, and you're doing your bit for the local organic sustainable revolution. I counted sixty-one different booths here (okay, sixty-two if you include the live musicians selling their CDs while performing), and more than half were featuring local produce, breads, meats, eggs, nuts, dairy, honey and hummus. The rest were prepared foods (TacoDeli is apparently at every farmer's market), with several artisan craft, clothing and jewelry booths. I think I was most fascinated by a custom soda purveyor, who featured innovative fruit-flavored concoctions at $18 a six-pack. It's easy to forget you're in a mall parking lot: It's smartly arranged, you essentially walk around in an oval track with booths around you, and on one end you can sit and eat and listen to whoever is performing. There's also a handy ATM available for your convenience. In an odd way, this farmer's market actually makes a perfect Saturday "day-date" - if you were planning to hit the mall anyway, just come early enough to stroll through this unexpected organic and sustainable respite, stuff your purchases in a cooler in your car, and then head back into that real world of commerce and industry, the mighty world of Barton Creek Mall.

Wow, I am reviewing something related to another Farmers Market... shocking (NOT). Farmers Markets are why I look forward to Saturday mornings, and this is by far my favorite one in Austin. They moved her in the spring from Sunset Valley (which was very confusing... since there is still a market in Sunset Valley)... I think there was some political stuff going on. Nevertheless, they have an amazing offering of local produce, prepared foods, live music and more artists per capita than the SFC markets... which is part of why I love them. Veges for the week, breakfast (shared with the pups), live music AND I can buy jewelry if I want to. All of this is packed into the NE corner of the mall with the city skyline as a back drop... There is some overlap of produce and prepared food vendors at the Saturday markets... but here is a sampling of some vendors you will only find here on a Saturday: - Terra Wear (my FAVORITE local Jewelry artist) - Caeda Farms (usually in the SE corner of the market... they have tomatoes in the winter, figs and berries in the summer, flowers, jams, and very wonderful yet reasonably priced seasonal organic produce) - Texas Lavender - soaps, lotions and other lavender products - Full Quiver Farm (great cheeses) - Poems on the Spot While You Shop (she will write you a poem on a typewriter, while you shop)... how originally Austin! You can also sample at some of the vendors with prepared foods to start off a Saturday "victory lap" of samples. Go early in the summer, the cool produce goes fast and it also heats up fast. So if it is too hot... leave the pups at home that week, they will thank you!

It's nearly January, so here are the things to go find at the market. In other words, lay off the imported strawberries from Peru and the peaches from Costa Rica that you find at the grocery store. If you eat seasonally you can eat cheaply and support local growers. *regular and Napa cabbage ($3-$4) *Pad Choy ($2-$3) *Broccoli rabe ($3) *kale ($2-$3) *lettuces of all kinds ($1.50-$2) *cukes, tomatoes ($3-$4) *broccoli ($3) *cauliflower ($3-$4) Also, Katz's coffee is greatness (4 packs for $16 or so), agave syrup is our new honey, and we also love the chicken farmers, egg farmers (about $4.25.doz), and the grass fed lamb. We'd shop there on days other than Saturday if we could. If you have not been, you will have a great time. If you have been, remember the seasons and what there is to enjoy in each of them. * If you don't know how to cook something, try a cooking website or ask the farmers for ideas.

Ever buy a head of cabbage as large as a bowling ball? Well, I just did today at the Sunset Valley Farmer's Market. ! I also bought some delicious kettle corn and some Round Rock Honey that was collected Thursday. There were so many great looking veggies from the winter crops, I had to restrain my buying due to lack of refrigerator space. Turnout for vendors and patrons like today was light due to the weather and the holidays, and many of the vendors had to put up when the cold front nearly turned their tents into recreations of Mary Poppins. It was a good event nonetheless. SFVM: i'll be back!

It's an awesome kids friendly/dog friendly market, one of the original market that started in Westlake High school over 20 years ago! I still see some of the same friends and vendors from back then!!! The produce selection is always fresh, clean port-a-potties, with soap and water to wash your hands with, live entertainment, great selections of artisan foods and locally handcrafted goods, even a knife sharpener and the best smoke meats in town. Plus there are organic meats/eggs/poultry, too. And, plenty of parking on site....it's always a pleasure to shop at this market. If you are going to the mall anyway, why not get an early start, get your breakfast tacos at this market and then walk right over to the mall (more steps to add to your daily health routine) and get your Saturday business all done and leave you plenty of time for R&R for the rest of the weekend!

I LOVE the SVFM! Unlike others, I pretty much dig the chaos. I love the limitations on the vendors...local grown/local made. I even don't mind the bounce house. As a mom, I get that having entertainment around for your kids allows it to be an enjoyable experience for the whole family. I love to people watch and there is always a very interesting mix here, complete with dogs. and truth be told, I think I enjoy dog watching even more than people watching. A couple of reviewers found it a bit expensive. I didn't have any problems with the prices on the produce and I don't buy too many of the "prepared" products. We try to make a loop before we start buying so we can check out all the various prices on things. It usually pays to do this as we will typically find a slightly better deal. I always come home inspired to cook more and eat better. A highlight for me is always the Buddha's Brew tent. I admit, I have a bit of a habit when it comes to this golden elixir. And it don't come cheap. This is one of the main reasons I drag my sorry butt out of the house most Saturday's is to get down to the farmer's market before they sell out of my fave flave...original. Costing anywhere from $3.50 to $4.99 retail, this cure-all is available for $2.50 a pop when you buy six or more. You can even get all crazy and mix it up between the various flavors.

A very nice selection of all sorts of foods - fruits, veggies, meats, cheeses, breads, and much, much more. The market is laid out nicely, it was crowded but easy to move around. A band played in a little central, awning-covered area, with people sitting down with coffee or fruit drinks and eating the some of the amazing array of things to nosh upon. While shopping, we ate a strawberry scone and a samosa, but were constantly tempted. Every step brought a new decision -( do we really need one of those giant cinnamon rolls )? I had a pretty decent cup of coffee and my wife enjoyed a large glass of pomegranate limeade. The Fredericksburg peaches we bought were perfectly ripe, sweet as all get out. The bottom line is that yes, you should get up early every now and then on a Saturday and check out this market. Its fun, the food is very good, and you can eat yourself sick with all the treats.

This farmer's market is AMAZING! You can replace your usual grocery store run with a trip to this market - veggies, milk, yogurt, granola - it's all here! Every week there's a surprise stall and a new thing to explore. You also get the opportunity to support local business owners, which is amazing!!!

I had a very bad experience at the farmers market this morning. To the point I won't be returning. The Goat Cheese stand is also an information stand. I bought some honey (I should have walked away) I said "I read on, what I believed to be, an official site for the farmers market that it was no cash, cards only." I said this bc it was an extra fee for card. But I said "oh ok, I wish I would have known bc I would have gotten cash" the woman there stated she runs their site, I hope she sees this, and started arguing with me that I did not see that. She was very argumentative and very unprofessional. There were vendors throughout the market not wearing masks- the site also said masks enforced. I only went today bc I felt safe from the pandemic with the safety features allegedly being enforced. Instead I got argued with - when I wasn't even arguing- I just said "oh darn ok I'll pay the extra fee" I used to go to this farmers market every week. I will not be returning if the person running things is this unprofessional. She really was so unprofessional and inappropriate with a paying customer.

Love love love this wonderful place to spend a Saturday morning! Great prices, friendly faces, and that welcoming, open arms community vibe that makes the world a better place. The sustainable farmers are always grateful for any amount you purchase, the artwork sold here is breath-taking, and the free music keeps the vibes high. Being all about my budget as well as passionate about health, the farmers market allows you to maintain both! The food is literally picked the day before, it's naturally grown (and naturally sized) and full of more flavor! I've noticed a difference in my overall well-being since I started frequenting the market place, hope you'll make the switch too :)

I really enjoyed this market, but there was very little produce. It was mostly prepared foods and crafts, but then again, it was early December. And besides, I don't live in Austin, so produce would have been useless to me. What a treasure trove of great stuff. I found a selection of cute stocking stuffers for my girlfriend who collects rubber ducks--small, themed rubber ducks embedded in a bar of soap from Austin Natural Soap--and organic, human-grade treats for her dog at Bark For Peace. Apparently the day that I was there marked the final appearance of Living Arts Bakery, much to the chagrin of my friend's acquaintance who was a big fan. They tried to give me 2 for 1 cinnamon rolls, but with a long day of sampling Austin cuisine ahead of me, I declined and took just the one (and it was damn good). The culinary highlight was Empanadas La Boca: I had the margherita (B+) and tried my friend's mushroom (A-). We sampled a lot of other great stuff, such as specialty crackers and Middle Eastern food. I loved the bison jerky and intended to return to buy some, but the guy closed up his booth before we could get back. That would have made a great gift for some folks back in Chicago. It was really windy that day, and the live entertainment was bunk, but it was a very enjoyable kickoff to my first full day in Austin.

I love farmer's markets and I was glad I stumbled upon this one. The other farmers market I had been to prior that morning was a joke. Sorry but it is true. I loved that since it is at a mall there is tons of parking. There are a lot of produce, fruits, and plants to choose from. People were friend and even gave a few suggestions when I bought some root vegetables.

I was very apprehensive about the Sunset Valley Farmers Market moving to the parking lot of Barton Creek Mall. But, I have to say I like it even more! The new location is in the NE corner of the Dillard's parking lot but it is up on a hill with great views overlooking the city and there is plenty of parking in a real parking lot (no getting blocked in by people parking wherever). Most of my favorite Farms are here as well as so many new ones plus great artists and music (the musicians moved with them). Hillside Farms and Austin Boxer Rescue made the move as well as many farmers and vendors who decided to set up booths at both locations. Taco Deli has a booth! My new favorite vendor find here was Sassi Lassi - super yummy healthy probiotic filled Mango Lassi!!!

Cute market with delicious fresh produce, kombucha, fresh jerky, grass fed meat, and a bunch of other vendors. The prices seem to be pretty reasonable for the quality of the products that are offered. This market is definitely on the smaller side. I like that it isn't overly crowded. While it is dog friendly, it is in a parking lot, so it may be too hot to bring your dog depending on what time you go.

I love this farmers market location for the easy parking, spacious common areas, and larger booths. The selection is perfect, and the prices are great! no dusty venue!

Lots of interesting shops. The Farmers market is set up in the far corner opposite Macy's. Most special was the Indian stall (Lamba's Indian Food). The owner, Jogi, is very friendly and generous with his samples. Almost gave us a full thali of samples to try. Honestly had more options on that sampler than most buffets. All the items reminded me of home cooked food. Not regular, commercialized restaurant food but actual home made Indian food. Will keep visiting.

It's cute that Austin considers this a "Farmer's Market"...the number of prepacked foods, service providers, and flea market type vendors far outweighs the actual produce or fresh food vendors. The vendors that are there are grossly overpriced. Yeah yeah yeah...I understand the whole "buy local...support local...blah blah blah" comes at a premium, but these vendors are simply overpriced. The only reasons for coming here are to buy baguettes from Baguettes e Chocolat (so I don't have to drive waaaaaay out to their shop) or to pick up some of that fantastic bucha from Buddha's Brew. It's good for a reason to get out of the house, but little else.

I simply love this Farmers Market and so does my entire family. The music, the food, the people. Its a great time ever time we go. We typically frequent the same vendors, Mrs Rasmey, Tamale addiction, Smith and Smith or Richardson Farms, or Vital Farms (for eggs). JBG, always a wonderful stop. We almost always stop at the Indian food booth down at the end by the dairy place (I forgot the name) across from the honey. Anyhow. Its great! We love the chickpea spinach! And we enjoy seeing the new things, and trying new things. We go when we have a chance to head south on a Saturday morning.

We love this market and have been coming for too many years to count. Well run and cared for with excellent vendors!

Great place to check out if you're near Barton Creek on a Saturday morning. There's a nice live band providing a great ambience to your market shopping. There's always a food truck for your prepared meal needs. The vendors here carry everything from fresh and locally made popsicles, organic and TRULY natural dog food and treats. There's butchers who carry grass-fed beef and even bison meats, fruit and produce growers. There's even a chocolatier with some amazing flavors. A couple of tips: - Bring cash, there's an ATM but who wants to pay fees? - Bring a shopping bag, preferably something with an insulated lining in case you purchase a perishable. Even if you're going straight home, it gets hot in Texas and there are a few vendors there with temp. sensitive products. The prices are great and so is the offering that they bring.

I ventured down to So. Austin last week to try out my 3rd farmer's market this summer. Great selection of veggies and pastries but people come out of the woodwork to wander about in 100 degree weather on black pavement. HOT! I could stand the crowds for about an hour and then I was off. They have live music too. I like Austin Farmer's Market better!

THIS IS THE BEST FARMER'S MARKET I HAVE EVER BEEN TO IN MY LIFE. Everything here has to be grown or made by the individual vendor. The address on this listing is the correct one, 3200 Jones Rd, NOT 2300 Jones Rd. The actual website is: http://www.sunsetvalleyfarmersmarket.org/ The things I particularly enjoyed the last time I went: - Fresh juice popsicles - Empanadas - Hibiscus, mint iced tea - Live music - Free samples galore! I came to Austin on a road trip as a group from California, Florida, and Hawaii, and this is hands-down, the favorite thing of our whole time spent in Austin.

I met Tara M. and Kimberly K. here for a healthy, natural, organic kind of a Saturday morning. Fresh vegetables, gluten free cinnamon rolls and sandwiches, tasty tamales, delicious teas and lemonade cooling in interesting plastic spheres, soba salad samples, lovely skin scrubs and products, cool live music and playmates for Mia, Tara's pup. There was also organic meats (lamb, bison and beef), homemade popsicles in flavors such as soy coconut, kiwi lime, horchata and strawberry, freshly made sweet smelling soap, creative jewelry, special cheeses and dips, fresh roasted coffee, farm fresh eggs and SVFM t-shirts. As we strolled through the throng of people Tara says, "I think that guy over there with the long hair is hot." I look over to see a tall, tan, handsome man wearing a green print shirt who appears to have walked off a beach in Jamaica where he had been sipping a rum drink and romancing a girl with a flower behind her hair. Yes, I agree. He is hot. And for kombucha fans (which I am one), Kimberly can swig down an entire jar of this immune enhancing liquid in minutes. Kind of amazing. It hurts me to drink 4 ounces. It is sold here in flavors of blueberry, grape and ginger. Half way into the market we met Kimberly's parent's neighbors, Liz and Bruce, who were there with two beautiful rescued Mastiffs. Mia was in heaven and rolled around on the asphalt in anticipation of playtime. There is something for everyone at this wonderful mecca of fresh produce and healthy food. I love supporting central Texas farmers and small local businesses and plan to be here at least once a month.

I loooooove kicking off the weekend by shopping here. This is what I love: - tons of vendors - the food seems to be a little cheaper than other farmer's markets - the Austin Boxer Rescue is almost always there - several vendors that carry humanely raised meat - kettle corn! I'm like a wild animal with a bag of that in hand - local coffee for $5 a bag - delicious local cheeses (or is it cheese? is cheese singular and plural?) - garden nurseries sell plants there I was so surprised and happy to find that Austin far surpassed my farmer's markets in SF and NYC. Yay!

I have to update because I just have to tell everyone about a really fabulous vendor I discovered here at Sunset Valley. They sell hummus, tabouli, flat round loaves of bread that they call pita (but does not look like the pocket bread that we are used to calling pita) and spinach pies. This hummus is the best freakin' hummus I have ever had. Seriously. I mean, I have tried hummus at Costco, different vendors at farmers markets, you name it. Those are ok, but this is the best -- by a mile. I brought some home and my husband, who is usually "meh" about hummus, scarfed it down and announced: "This is the best Hummus I have ever had!" Last time I was there, I told the nice lady how much we loved it and she explained why it was so great -- she said: "We live to make hummus" and she was serious. Her family uses organic garbanzos, soaks them, prepares them with fresh squeezed organic lemon juice and garlic and spices. She said they go through a food processor every couple of weeks. It is amazing. I just tried one of their spinach pies this morning. Holy moly!! It was still a little warm because I'll bet they were made this morning. It must have had a half a pound of spinach in it, flavored with lemon with a little cheese I would not have surprised to hear was homemade. At least half a pound of spinach was encased in a thin crust, twisted in a round, with a sprinkling of sesame seeds. As I was eating my spinach pie in the car on the way home, I almost did a U turn so I could go back and buy a dozen more. This place is amazing. Food made with love. Seriously. You HAVE to go try their hummus and spinach pie.

Before I say anything else, I will admit that I got some great stuff at this particular farmer's market. It's not like me to hate on any farmer's market because, well, it's a market. The vendors work just as hard to get their produce and goods out there, and it's true, everything here was just as fresh (if not from the same vendors) as the downtown farmer's market. The problem that I have with this particular market is the atmosphere. While I prize the downtown market with tranquility and ability to cheer me up, this market did the opposite. Crowds pushed me back and forth, down and around. Kids ran around underneath my line of vision, causing me to only see tiny blurs in my peripherals before they ran into my tron-like calves. Dogs pushed and prodded their way around me, splashing the remains of waterbowls on my feet and even butting in line! (As I understand it, that's a big farmer's market faux pas.) I've said it before, and I'll say it again: no good comes of putting a bounce house in a farmer's market. Ask me again in a few years when I start having kids and maybe I'll think differently, but for now, I'm staidly against letting kids run around amok, dropping fruit and veg and breaking glass after they get all hype on that air-filled, bouncy crack. Plus I was the unfortunate witness to several children being disciplined; they were being yelled at in that shaking, clench-your-teeth way by their mothers, the kind that sometimes gives way to all-out shouting. It made me tense-- I thought I was in trouble a couple of times! So yeah, with all that out of the way, there is some delicious stuff here from some great vendors. It's just so incredibly chaotic that I want to get in and get out of there so I can forget the experience. Pluses are that they have samples a-plenty, so while I'm not usually a sample whore, it was great to be enthusiastically offered some yummy morselettes. It totally worked on me too; I bought a good bit of the things I was given. Also, there's an ATM tucked away in the corner of the whole setup for overindulgent impulse buyers, which is pretty smart. My fridge full of really yummy things tells me that the end justified the means, but it really shouldn't have to be like that. You'll see me more often downtown with my chill urban crowd, where the kids, dogs and parents know how to behave themselves. Seriously. I blame it on the bounce house.

You are probably asking yourself, "Why in the world would I drag myself out of bed on a Saturday morning to buy produce?" I'll tell you why. Sunset Valley Farmer's Market is so much more than organic produce. It is the miracle hangover cure. My sister and I grab a couple of canvas bags (sustainable!) and roll ourselves over to the Toney Burger Center. While she peruses the various veggies and fruits, I run accross the way to the Pasta booth and buy us a fresh baggie of pasta (Garlic, Walnut, Sun Dried tomato Cranberry pasta!) and a couple of egg and potato empanadas from the booth next door. Grab some coffee from any of the five vendors selling or giving out coffee and I start to feel human again. It's at this point I always run into someone I know looking like c - r - a - p. But, hey, it's okay! I might have a rats nest for hair and it might be embarrassing BUT! But I have coffee and an empanada. All is right in the world. Immediately after I typically try to track down my favorite soy candle booth then I find my sister (who has bought five bunches of Swiss Chard for like $0.41.) and we roll home.

The Sunset Valley Farmers Market is perfect in every way. You get to support local business, eat incredibly fresh and flavorful food, and get it at less than what you could ever pay at the supermarket. It is so perfect that I often forego late friday nights JUST to get there on Saturday mornings. Also, the location: it seems a paradox, but the berger center parking lot makes it the easiest and most convenient place to get in and out of. Park your car, walk 25 feet, get your stuff and go. You don't even have to open any doors. The vendors are required to either grow or make their own stuff, and there exist an array of choices: local organics, local hydroponics, jams, gifts, tamales, pasta, fresh cheese and eggs, in season veggies, free range meat from right outside austin. They've got it all saved packaged, processed food. Here's a little tidbit I discovered: some of the vendors resell their veggies to CM and Whole Foods, who of course mark them up to timbuktu. Case in point: fresh organic tomatoes are rarely less than $4 per lb at whole foods, but are only $2 here. Additionally, because you get meat and veggies SO fresh, they taste so flavorful and stay fresh for like a week, unlike supermarket veggies which tend to have short shelf life. So if you're someone who (like many of us yelpers) who likes to eat out a lot, your veggies will stick around until you decide to eat them. Oh, and they are so dog friendly, and the cheese guy will let you give a sample to your dog. Not that my little chunk needs any cheese...

Hello Sunset Valley Farmer's Market. I love you and your whacky setup in the back lot of a school sports stadium. I love your kettle corn and empanada vendors, and I love all the fresh produce. I love it when that one kooky lady who writes books about Nigerian women comes up to me and pitches me her story, even if it's obvious that I don't care. This is definitely the best of the Austin farmer's markets (And I think I've been to all of them, as far as I know). The parking situation is SO much better than the downtown market, and the crowd is much calmer. You don't necessarily have to be there at 9am to get the best stuff, as you do at other markets. There's sometimes good music, and all the farmers and vendors seem friendlier and less rushed here. I also love SVFM because this is where the fresh whole wheat flour comes from! I think Richardson Farms produces it and it makes me SO HAPPY. Though it doesn't always happen, if I DO manage to drag myself out of bed before noon on a Saturday, this place is my first stop.

I like coming here for the meat. I HIGHLY recommend making a visit out here if you are a carnivore. They have several farms here selling beef/pork/chicken. Prices are high if you compare to the grocery or even Central Market. BUT, it's some of the best beef I have ever tasted. I cooked a couple of LARGE sirloins for me, Dr. Fredo and our girls to absolute melt in your mouth perfection. We couldn't get over how tasty it was. I've cooked 4-5 of their briskets in the past too. Very yum! Now, what I am not crazy about is wading through a lot of the arts and crafts and jewelry and junky junk. But that's just a guy thing I guess because my wife loves that stuff and she usually picks up something. So this is a pricy place. Every time we go, we spend at least a $100 and don't really feel like we got much at all. We bought peaches and I think it ended up being around a $1 a peach! Wha!!! But the flavor of the meat we buy here makes it all worthwhile. And one more thing . . . I'd also suggest the guys who sell the flavored pasta. Again it's pricy, but absolutely the best I've ever eaten. Especially the garlic and jalapeno!

how have i never rated this place??? I love this farmers market and go as often as possible. They have cheese, fresh meats (of all kinds), Kimchi .. carrot relish.. produce.. Buddha Brew Kambucha.. and so much more. They have live music, Taco Deli and fresh Tamales for eating on site. My favorite Farm is Windfield Farms.. great produce, Sprouts, Hot sauce and even homemade detergent!!! Lovely people too ;) they don't except food stamps or involved in any programs and so you will have to go downtown for that. Definitely worth a sat morning!!!

What a great farmers market! Tons of friendly people and a variety of products. It's in the mall parking lot so there is TONS of parking which is refreshing for a farmers market. There's usually a band playing and plenty of booths handing out samples. I would go here every weekend if I could.

The market is something I look forward to every week. It keeps me flush in organic/locally grown veggies as well as organic cheeses (lots of samples!) and free range eggs and meats. I prefer to go before noon 'cause it's calmer. If you can get there at 9:00 you'll get the best and the freshest everything.

I'm not sure why there're two Sunset Valley Farmer's Markets on Yelp, but this is the more accurate location of the two entries. This is, hands down, the best farmer's market here in Austin. The other ones don't even compare. The vendors here are friendly, the products are awesome. Even though this is not a "normal" stop on an Austin tour, I've brought out of town guests here and they've thoroughly enjoyed it.