Santa Cruz River Farmers' Market

Cute lil' farmers market. Slim on vendors in the winter but still some great gems. Mushrooms, greens, peppermint oil, soaps and hot veggie meals are all here. Music busking music is epic and the little bike-pedaled free library is awesome. Even though it's small, it's definitely still worth a visit.

Nice little farmer's market. It is held Thursday's between 3:00pm - 6:00pm which is unusual for a farmer's market. But it is nice with a variety of produce such as lettuce, lemons, micro greens and mushrooms as well as soaps, breads, honey, meats, and cooked food. I bought a variety of mushrooms, some good focaccia bread, and Selena's Salvadoran Restaurant was there serving up a Salvadoran fresco drink which was yummy with pineapple and mini chunks of apple, Revuelta which is refried beans, mozzarella and pork fried like a pancake and some cookies made with butternut squash. All good. There was someone making fresh churros and coconut drinks. Worth a stop if you're in the area Thursday afternoon.

I love coming to this farmers market, it's small but cozy. Everyone is kind and happy to see you there. I truly appreciate that this farmers market is opened in the afternoon. I think it's really important to be able to bring healthy, clean, and fresh food to everyone ( not just early risers 😉). The deeper into winter we get, the more vendors are popping up. I love coming nearly every week to talk to the vendors/volunteers/Staff and see what healthy foods of the week I'm going to get!

This was a fantastic market!! They had a great selection of items here. Homemade pastas, honey, eggs, meat, a huge variety of produce (of course), even specialty garlic and cupcakes in a jar!! You could also buy seedling plants to grow your own food from one of the vendors. And all of the vendors were suoer nice and friendly, too! The people selling the garlic were extremely helpful and informative. I will definitely be back here! Parking was a breeze--and free!--by the way!

Awesome selection & fabulous people! Had a great time with the kids. Also educational as we learned about some new foods & recipes. Had music playing & enjoyed some refreshing drinks. Prices were reasonable, some a bit high & some a bit low so all evened out. Nothing better than cooking great, fresh & locally grown. You definitely taste the difference!

We love this market! The atmosphere is so friendly and inviting! It isn’t the largest, but there are still more than enough legitimate farmers/growers. Seriously everything you could need at a market! They even offer a double-up program for users of the SNAP program...making local, seasonal produce available to lower income families! The Community Food Bank sponsors this market and they do a great job! Well done!

This is my favorite farmer's market in town! They have a good variety of food, plants and other products. The atmosphere is friendly, cozy and entertaining. Sometimes they have people playing music live. It's a great place to get delicious food and products. I highly recommend it.

Total confusion. Was invited to this place by the Community Food Bank. Too much paperwork, for some fruits and vegetables, that looked very tired. Looks like the fruit was picked from the ground, after the birds put holes in them, and had fallen off the tree to the ground. It's like, give this stuff to Mikey, he will eat it, but I won't. We were given $5 coupons, if which my guess this F & M seeks reimbursement from the Community Food Bank. Everything is $5. A bit pricey for spoiled or soon to spoil if not used right away. My wife did make a pot of vegetable soup, but after one bowl, that's enough for me. I don't like and don't eat left overs. My wife of 45 years knows this and yet left over sit in the refrigerator, until there is fur topping the vegetables. Oh well!

I used to love walking around shopping this market before the world changed. Even though it isn't quite as fun to drive through it is definitely convenient and I am just happy to be able to get my produce and support them. There are weeks you can just drive up and make your selection immediately and then there are times you have to wait in a long line and when you get to the front your options are very limited. Either way they post their menu on Facebook every week and the selection is still pretty great. All of the staff are always upbeat and very friendly and helpful. I'm grateful that they are finding a way to continue doing this!

This isn't your see-and-be-seen, park-like, foothills-ambianced market like the one at St. Philip's. It's concentrated and a bit gritty, a get-in-&-get-out, "I need my fix" sort of farmers' market. That's not to say there aren't amenities. There's usually a musical group. There's always samples of a recipe featuring produce that's in season. There's often an activity; for example this week (3/10/10) there's the annual seed exchange. Also, they accept credit, debit, and EBT cards, as well as WIC Cash Value Vouchers. The market, located in the caliche lot next door to the School for the Deaf and Blind, features reasonably priced produce grown at the Food Bank's Nuestra Tierra Garden and Marana Farm. But there's also vendors offering their home-growns, a couple of vendors selling eggs and always jams, honey, baked goods, and coffee. Truth is I prefer this market, with it's too-close traffic and bare-bones caliche lot. On Thursday afternoons, when people gather here, it's all about the food -- getting it local, getting it fresh and wholesome, and getting it at a fair price. Now isn't that what a farmers' market should be?

This is a very nice farmers market in a great location. Veggies, eggs, meat and there are dinner options as well. Supports the Community Food Bank so a great place to buy food.

Gettin' ready for the weekend!!! I love this Farmers Market! The vendors are friendly, knowledgeable and well stocked. It's not close to anything I usually do so, I sometimes miss a few Thursdays but several of the vendors recognize me when I do popover. I always stop for the sprout lady. She gives samples. I also make a stop at Tucson Tamale Company. As well as small planet bakery & all the produce guys/gals. Add a dash of relaxing music and you've got yourself the makings of an exciting late afternoon.

I went to this farmers market for the first time last week and I have to say that I was impressed. It's a lot smaller than some of the other markets in town but there was a great selection of fresh, locally grown produce,nuts,honey,herbs,etc.. You can buy herb plants to start your own herb garden, and get seeds from the public library's "seed library". There was live music to enjoy as we sat on the patio and ate homemade organic hummus and crispy flatbread. The crowd was friendly and relaxed. It was a great way to spend a Thursday afternoon. The market is open every Thursday from 3pm-6pm. Parking is good and the area is wheelchair accessible .

Ok, so it wouldn't be fair to compare this Farmer's Market to St. Philips, so I'm not even gonna go there. This farmers market is certainly small, but it also hasn't been around as long as other Fm's in town....and growth takes time, but they've got a good selection. Come here and find a few veggie stands, two local beef vendors (Walking J from Amado and Jojoba Beef Company from Kearny, Arizona), fresh potted herb plants, baked goods, Small Planet Bakery, fresh Tortillas from La Tauna (they've got vegan tortillas too!), Salsa Rangel, Local Honey and more. The community food bank coordinates this farmers market and accepts food stamps too in addition to debit/credit and cash. Live music and cooking demos add pizzazz to this market. And of course local food trucks set up shop too. Planet of the Crepes is a regular at this market. I'm looking forward to participating in some of their workshop too. They offer gardening workshops and in the past they've done water harvesting classes, Mesquite milling, desert harvesting and even Solar cooking! I don't think I've seen this at other farmers markets. It's a great way to engage the local community and learn about all of the native seeds and plants that we have in Santa Cruz County.

What a fantastic community resource! As I walked into the mercado I was greeted by tables and tables of fresh vegetables and fruits. I picked up some hot peppers, eggplants and my favorite pick--dragoon apples! In addition to produce, there was a local salsa lady, eggs, fresh baked bread and yummy pastries, honey, oils, bath products and even some native veggie plants to purchase and try your hand at growing your own. There were families lingering about in the center chatting with friends and listening to live music. I'm excited that this place is open in the evenings on Thursday from 3-6pm and an extra little nugget of goodness is by shopping locally you are also supporting the community food bank!

Welcome to the desert! If you ever want a small piece of desert culture, come to the Santa Cruz River Farmers' Market on Thursdays. Don't wear flip flops because your feet will get extremely dirty! I have seen mesquite flour being grinded, folk guitars being played, gluten-free natural scones being sold, fresh meat being sold, tamales being served, prickly pear tea being sold, and Mexican hot chocolate being poured. The most popular items seem to be basil plants and fruit plants. This Farmers' Market is on a very small plot of land, but there is parking next door at the El Rio Neighborhood Center. I think the market is closed this winter, but I am not sure which dates they will be closed. You should check it out once if you want to escape to desert farmer culture. Unfortunately, I don't see myself going every week because the choices are so slim. NOTE: reopening after the holidays on Thursday, January 6