Santa Cruz Community Farmers' Market

My mom and I go down to this farmers market every Wednesday it's the greatest. There's all kinds of food and vegetables here flowers entertainment it's just wonderful a great place for locals to gather I especially like going to the Indian food place and having the Tiki malasada I'm I've spelled that wrong but that's as close as I can get! They have barbecue chicken that have taco trucks that put out just the best food ever really is worth going down here and checking it out. The official hours are 2 PM to 5 PM and starting in April they'll be open until 6 PM.

Great farmers market with a community of fresh vegetables and fruits, prepared foods, olive oil, soaps, and herbs.

What would do without the farmers market. I'd have to live with less turnips in my diet. No bueno. I look forward to going every Wednesday afternoon. I see old friends, make new ones and appreciate that organic foods bring out the healthier, posative, beauty in all of us.✌️ PeAcE.

A nice farmers market with high quality produce and a very friendly vibe

With its Great food and fun atmosphere the downtown market is the hub of Santa Cruz Organic food culture. Be sure to bring your own reusable shopping bags and a smile!

Must go to see the variety of fresh produce.

Is it the best farmer's market ever? No. Did it used to be better? Yes. But is it the farmers market we currently have downtown? Yes! Still a great place to get affordable farm fresh greens and vegetables.

Being local I do miss the old market, before the food booths. It seemed to have a more local vibe to it and more growers , but times change and I am grateful for what we do have . I prefer the smaller growers .Great produce great vibes , great people, excellent management.

Wed, May 29, 2024, 1-5 pm. A vibrant farmers market conveniently located in downtown Santa Cruz. (We'll have to see what becomes of it as there are signs that suggest that the block is slated for development). There were many stands with fresh -- and mostly organic -- fruits and vegetables. Lots of strawberries these days, as well as both common and uncommon varieties of produce. There were also food trucks, and a covered area for eating. While there were plenty of tables, most were occupied when we were there. We were disappointed that prices were about the same as local groceries -- but we had been spoiled with some great deals on fresh fruit and veggies at a roadside market near Los Banos a week ago.

Its a little small, but there were a lot of yummy choices for fruit and baked goods. I got some amazing peaches and pastries. There was a lot of convenient parking.

While in Santa Cruz, we wanted to kill some time and found out that there was a weekly Wednesday market happening! It was perfect timing since they were open in the afternoon so we stopped by. The market is very small, divided up into sections where you can get hot foods, vegetables, pre made baked foods, flowers, etc. As an oyster lover, I got so excited when I saw that there was a fresh stand where they'll shuck it for you with sauces/toppings on the side. It was $3 per oyster, which was worth it compared to the oysters that we had on the pier. They were plump and delicious, definitely a treat. We also tried out the pupusa stand which had wonderful ladies cranking out orders and making almost 40 pupusas at a time. We got a chicken, cheese, spinach which was delicious. We also got the vegetarian and bean & cheese. All three were soooo good. I wish the salsa was a bit spicier and the slaw a bit more vinegary, but it still paired very well with the hot goodness. The market had a lot of seasonal fruits and vegetables as well as beautiful colorful flowers. There were a bunch of food vendors with live music playing. It was such a beautiful little market and definitely worth checking out!

Being old school local I miss the og market but am grateful we have a market period. Employees are awesome. I don't eat at the food booths. I purchase all my Vegis from our local farmers markets. Rebecca and Thairie are awesome. I recommend this market every weds.

I don't often get to visit a farmer's market as often as I'd like, whether it be local or in an another city. My BF Joe K was an expert at fresh produce and I would usually follow his lead. Apparently his parents had a knack at growing some award winning vegetables back in the day. When we were on vacation in Santa Cruz, we wanted to leisurely kill some time during the day, and discovered a farmer's market was happening on their weekly Wednesday, in the downtown area. This street / park marketplace has become a popular place to provide and sell freshly grown, organic fruits and vegetables. We enjoyed taking samples from some of the vendors and were quickly sold on making purchases. Besides the farmer's market aspect of this attraction, you will also find other foods and beverages available. I also like perusing the vendors that display their arts and crafts, clothing, jewelry, handmade items, and all things creatively collectible. Everyone seems to love coming to this weekly event as one will obviously experience by the huge numbers of people attending! There is always a variety of new and interesting things happening at each farmer's market, including entertainment. There is something about these community events, that bring people together for a few hours of improving on their health, wellness and fun, not to mention a boost in the economy!

The epitome of of an ideal. A FM that actually has a vast array of fruits and vegetables welcoming you along with live music. What it lacks in size it makes up in variety. It is smaller than I thought (about a city block in a parking lot), but it had a great vibe. All senses come to life with with the vibrant colors, sound of music, and smells from the "food court." I was sad to have biked because I could not purchase more produce. The prices were fair considering they are locally grown. The market is split in half with one section consisting of produce, and the other half with prepared food and beverages. Coffee, beverages, baked goods, jerky, and multiple food trucks. I appreciate keeping "crafts" to a minimum as how many soap stands do you really need? This is not your average food court as they had a wide selection with Asian dumplings, Etrean, Indian, hand pies, roast chicken, etc. If that is not enough, Pacific Street, the main thoroughfare is on the next block. These folks are serious about their food as most food stands would not serve before 1PM as they were setting up. I finally chose India Gourmet because they had a lamb vindaloo combo. Usually I leave these venues hungry. Not today! My combo came with spinach puree and a creamy potato carrot stew, and a large naan. Delicious and all for $15. They had brought their own oven! I had a late dinner because I was stuffed for most of the day even with biking ten miles. I enjoyed my meal at the outdoor tables by musicians. Metered street parking is hard to find, but there are multiple nearby garages. If you are willing to walk six blocks down Cedar, there are 2 hour free spots.

The coffee was better than Starbucks but at the same price. The Thomcord grapes were super juicy and so fresh that there were spider webs on it.

We ran into this spot on our way out of town from our hotel. It's not the best FM I've been to, hence the 3 stars - although it's very small, it's a sufficient place to buy some produce or prepared foods. We were fortunate to hear a couple playing music as well :) The setting is in a parking lot and, because of the times, may be limited in its offerings and vendors. Happy to support our local farmers and highly recommend you do too!

This farmers market has been here for decades. As well as vegetables, homemade pasta sauces. They have food trucks: Roti Rolî has roasted chicken, potatoes, ribs and Brussels spouts like in Provence. This truck is also at the San Francisco's Ferry Building 's Farmer's Market( usually with lonnggg lines).

Great market with many vendors - if you get there early enough. It should be known that the majority of vendors pack up at least 30 mins before market officially closes. Additionally, the info booth (which provides shoppers with EBT / SNAP benefits) closes 45 mins before market officially ends. For families and people who work normal weekday hours, it's a real drag to not be able to shop due to what fees like unnecessary early closure. Minus some stars for the way this negatively impacts customers and feels disrespectful... a blow to food justice for those in need of this crucial accessibility and resource.

Kashiwase farm refund the overcharge. They charged me over $86 for 5 peaches. The farmer market organizer is not helping

A great "Locals"scene & one of the best farmers markets around . It has grown a lot in the past few years. Where I used to see 1row of produce now there are several . Way more food vendors too, and a seating area to eat. While you are serenaded by live music or at least thumping drums --- haHa! I have loved the Indian food stand for many years . The vendor (chef!) brings a portable Tandoori oven and makes fresh naan bread on location ($5 for 3). Great samosa for $2 each and also has lots of entree and "dinner combo" options like saag & curry over rice. Also stands selling crepes and other "exotic" choices. Even fresh oysters on the 1/2 shell , Sooo California ! There were lovely plums and peaches available here , (when they have long ago disappeared from Safeway )and every other vegetable & Fruit you could imagine . I did not feel that prices were higher than supermarket prices as a few others have "YELPed"..., And this seems like a good place to put together a gift basket too ! Lots of artesianal breads salamis & cheeses . A "fermented"stand selling Krauts& pickles with live cultures !Also honey,olives , oils , dried fruits & nuts . Even home crafts like soaps lotions & candels. All local to California! Altogether a great place to grab some dinner and do some shopping.... If you can find a parking spot !

LARGE! A whole city block. Swarmed with people, and filled with everything you can imagine. Lots of fresh produce, lots of honey (Which I bought, since my dad in law runs an apiary), breads and what have you. Lots of political campaigns and even food trucks offering plenty to eat. Loved the community vibe, loved what I saw, smelled and experienced.

This is one of two Santa Cruz farmers markets, and the best farmers markets amongst the many in the area. If you need a non beach related reason to come downtown on a weekday, here it is. While parking in downtown Santa Cruz is normally not a big deal, there are a couple of factors to consider as regards the wednesday farmers market. For starters the market is held in and on one of the surface lots that the city normally expects to use for visitors, thus right of the git go a fairly large number of spaces are taken right off the table. Second this is a popular farmers market. Several thousand people will come for this event. Third in the summer there will already be several thousand people coming downtown for santa cruz beach related reasons. So for parking I'd recommend just going directly to one of the two garages in the area. This will also help you avoid the inevitable traffic snarl that develops along cedar. If you are not mobile enough to walk a few block with the stuff you're gonna buy, come early to try for the lot across from the market, or a street parking spot. Good luck. The farmers market has about 40 plus vendors of which a half dozen or so are selling meals. The rest are representatives from ranches, dairies, groves,and farms representing anything that can be grown in the fertile land up and down the coast. The foods available here the healthiest and finest on earth. The vegetables can be quite reasonable in price, the meat-excepting the fish/shellfish not so much. Chicken and beef pricing here is quite high, even if it of the best quality. If you are a gourmand, want to be a gourmand, like to cook, or like to eat healthy this is the place to shop. What food stands are here trend towards epic-particularly the Indian food truck and the chicken roaster(if you buy a chicken, ask about the vegetables the roast at the same time.).There are a few non food vendors-one knife sharpener, a high quality pottery stall, some folks selling flowers, soap, coffee, and ice cream, but 90% of the stalls are for selling grocery type foods. There will be some kind of live entertainment official or otherwise. There is a bicycle valet available, at least one informational kiosk for upcoming events(live music, theater, health and political stuff) and a massage vendor(or vendors) as well. In other words it's the typical Santa Cruz quirkiness in full effect. Totally worth a spending a Wednesday afternoon at, in or about.

One thing locals take for granted is that everyone knows when and where these things go on. The Downtown SC Farmers market happens WEDNESDAYS from 2:30 to 6:30p in the parking lot at Cedar and Lincoln Streets. It is a busy bustling farmers market with a great selection of fresh local fruits, veggies and much more. Produce is of high quality. You can get fresh oyster shooters, fish, a plethera of different honeys, jams etc. Samples mmmmmmm... Hot fresh indian food, flowers mushrooms and more. Next door there is granola funk drum circle that apparently materializes every week. Not to everyones liking if you don't like it then don't stand there and listen to it. Problem solved. (or patronize one of the other two weekly farmers markets in town)

I went to the farmer's market today to try and get produce for the week and only walked away with four peaches. Everyone is very nice and all, but dang...is this place EXPENSIVE. One stand charged me 9.80 for THREE Asian Pears!! I ended up not buying it (obviously)--and they weren't even organic! I'll stick to Costco and Safeway...

Just scored another bounty at Santa Cruz Farmer's Market. Peaches, apricots, carrots, corn on the cob, cilantro, baguettes. YUM! Love the quality, competitive prices, merchants, shoppers. Awaiting the return of my fellow musicians--be well, all of you.

Ok hands down the best farmers market I've ever been to. Stumbled across the farmers market after i had a sub par lunch. They have everything at this farmers market, food trucks and vendors, oysters that you can eat onsite, taste and buy local beer, cheeses, a variety of fresh fruit and veggies, pastries and beautiful flower bouquets just to name a few. From what I heard, this farmers market is on Wednesday's 1-5p, wished that we had lunch at the farmers market instead. Another thing I thought was cool most of the vendors take credit cards.

Dried apricots from ApricotKing!! Always a fun time in Santa Cruz..... never know what you're going to see!!

A very old fellow was very rude and sarcastic with me and my girlfriend when we tried to park in this very very empty parking lot to attend the farmers market. He eyeballed us as we drove past and felt like he needed to walk 50-70 feet to tell us this is for the farmers market and we have to leave. Maybe because we were minorities, I'm not sure because another white couple parked at same time and he didn't have an issue. It was the white round old man on the corner. Won't be coming back (: . Hope you see this bud.

By far my favorite farmer's market! I came back after taking a break from this market. I just didn't find myself in Santa Cruz on a Wednesday afternoon for a while, until today. Wow, how this market has grown and morphed into something extra magical. Most of the vendors are raw ingredient vendors but it has expanded to display a few rows of prepared food, with tables and chairs to sit and enjoy your newly bought finds, like a gourmet, outdoor market. Love it! I bought a coffee from Lulu's and then had a field day looking at the vegetable plant vendor, finding tomato varieties that I had never heard of. All of my favorite farms were represented for buying cooking ingredients. The market was clean, well laid out and parking was easy to find. Check this one out! I dare any hippy at heart to come here and try to leave in a bad mood. It's just impossible. :)

I never thought the day would come when I actually missed Santa Cruz Counties designated Hippie Day... aka DT Farmers Market. Truth be told, what was once... a very, very long time ago... a purely granola experience has blossomed into possibly the best Farmers Market in the state, and I would wager possibly the whole country. My first month moving to Los Angeles had me grumbling for this Wednesday afternoon ritual. How a city as sprawling as LA can't manage to produce a market with so much variety and at such bargain basement prices is beyond me. Walking from stall to stall, I had to show a level of restraint mirrored only be a heroin addict as I plowed through the most flavorful peaches I have tasted all summer. My love affair with heirloom tomatoes truly came into its own while keeping a CSA farm share, and now with no CSA to my name, my fix comes from one of three vendors here. Honey, fresh greens, beets... of the beets... and the berries!!! Oh wait, and then of course there are the fresh sucked oysters, the dates in fall, the orchid lady... I could just go on and on. I don't say this often, but LA, sometimes you suck. And you suck because I can't find anything half as wonderful as Santa Cruz Farmers Market in you!

My go-to vegetables and fruit source for a week or two. I always buy too much but they are fresh still in the fridge for at least 2 weeks anyway. I used to go to the farmers market in Saratoga, the same Wed every week but no longer do it after coming to this market after one visit. It's more vendors with much more varieties to choose from in the Santa Cruz market. Parking is plenty and with 50cents you can park a whole hour, on the street or in the parking lot. It's easy to find a parking space (I usually come there between 2-3pm.) Expensive? Nah. If you buy organic veg or fruit in Whole Foods, Staff of Life, or New leaf the cost is about the same if not higher. Although I like the taste of farmers vegetables better. Try the cilantro (fresh) and broccolette (sautéed with oil) and tell me what you think.

This is a gem. It's not too big, but big enough that you have a lot of options while you wander around, looking at the various stands. Many of the vendors offer samples to entice you to purchase their fruits. I wonder why no one offers veggie samples? (Just kidding!) The sauerkraut ladies make the best tasting sauerkraut I've ever tasted. She said she doesn't cook it and has several varieties. The apple-fennel is especially good. Be sure and bring a lot of cash. No debit/credit cards taken. Prices are not cheap, but there's nothing like sun ripened fruit and really fresh veggies. Parking can also be challenge, so be prepared to drive around looking for parking.

In true Santa Cruz fashion: You'll find the best of what the farmers locally deliver, in a nice community vibe. Word to the wise: Don't even pretend to look at the vegetables a few moments before 2:30- Seriously uptight about this. If the hipper than thou scene of self-rightously vegan-gluten- free overly facial pierced non-shopper drum thumpers seem hard to ignore try a little tenderness or simply wear your favorite NRA tee shirt.

If people ask me why I like living in Santa Cruz, one of the top reason's I give them is the Santa Cruz Farmer's Market. Of course has great produce from mostly local and mostly organic farmers but they also have great food vendors. You can get everything from raw foods to roasted chicken. You have to try Scream Sorbet, Raw Daddy Foods, the chocolate made from cacao beans from all over the world. You can even get fresh ahi sashimi directly from the fisherman.

I enjoy stopping by this quaint market on my weekend getaways to Santa Cruz. It has just enough to start your day off right: coffee, pastries, and beautiful local flowers.

Good for prepared food (food trucks) and baked goods (bakery vendors). Be very careful about which fruit vendor you buy from. Too many times I have purchased stone fruit from the farmers' market only to have it turn brown and start rotting in spots by the next day because it was handled so roughly by the seller. I've also purchased fruit that was sold as organic and clearly was not (I can taste the difference), and every summer I see gigantic peaches, which were clearly grown conventionally, sold as organic at this market. This is true for the Aptos farmers' market held at Cabrillo Community College, too. I generally stick to buying greens and vegetables that are easier to judge for freshness, and which are far more likely to truly be local. Because sourcing can be a lie, too, in farmers' markets.

Hands down, my favorite Farmer's Market in the bay area. There are so many markets out there that are overpriced, superficial, hipster and "foodie" galore, a trend, massive, and just in a nutshell--fake. This market is sincere, authentic, and true to the actual concept of a farmer's market. Why? ~The produce is mostly organic and actually AFFORDABLE! ($1 organic kale/spinach/beets anyone? $2 bunch carrots?) ~The farmers are friendly and are happy to tell you about their products as well as let you sample them--afterall, we all need to try before you buy right? ~They have quite a few ready to eat food stands now (fresh oysters, indian food, vegan choices, lulu's stand, mexican food, even a RoliRoti van is there now! --chicken&pots. only though) ~There are various "etc" items like...handmade soaps (yeeahhhh fresh goat milk!), honey sticks, almonds, crafts.. ~The hours are amazing, for us non-early birds (Weds 2-6:30pm) So...get out there next Wednesday afternoon and enjoy! It was definitely my favorite way to spend a break from school during my undergrad years. :)

Oh how I wish we had a farmers market like this in our town. Stumbled across this while visiting Santa Cruz and loved it. There was good music, lots of fun food to try, and so much fruit and vegetables grown locally. We bought a half rotisserie chicken from one of the venders (so good) and sides and took it down to the beach and ate on the beach. That's doing it SC style :) Highly recommend this market on Wednesday.

I've been going to the Farmers Market in downtown Santa Cruz for multiple years and I love it. I've seen stands come and go (bread guy you are missed) and I've definitely changed my eating patterns based on what's local and what's in season. I have to recommend getting the dollar bunch of kiwis from the first row, fresh, local flowers from the second row, and apples, honey, lettuce, and zuccini from the rest of the market but seriously everything is soo good! I think this is one of the most friendly markets I've been to. The farmer's are always so friendly and helpful and this market has become twice as big in the past year. Now there's more than fresh, organic food there's also prepared food and handmade products to buy. Definitely worth checking out! Very affordable and very awesome.

Overall, pretty awesome Farmer's Market. I come here for the naan. Soooo..... fresh and cooked right there. Parking is a pain, even finding a place for my bicycle is next to impossible. So happy the city got rid of the drummers that were congregating around the tree in the parking lot. They were totally disruptive, rude. They would not let cars get by or park and they would throw garbage everywhere. I have no problems with hippies, I just need them to STOP hassling me while I'm at the Farmer's Market.

SCFM is a great place to shop for fresh produce, sample a delicious and eclectic range of food faire from local friends who set up booths/tables to showcase their culinary talents. It's a great place to find fresh flower bouquets, varieties of tomatoes or lettuce, cheeses and your friends. Select from the varied range of herbs or just admire the true aroma of what fruit and vegetables should be before devouring them. I promise you will not find such great samples in a so-called super market.

This farmers market puts the little one I go to in Cambridge, MA to shame. My Cambridgeport farmers market has 4 booths. This one had 4 double sided aisles of booths! I loved all the samples available and the prices seemed pretty good. I was told that this place is the social hang out of the week. Four stars instead of five because of the damn drum circle. Hippies.

Yay I love the Farmers' Market! Now that they've taken over the entire parking lot space, there is an even better selection of goodies than before. A huge variety of locally grown and organic fruits and veggies; nuts, honeys and oils; b-e-a-utiful flowers and crafts; meats and fish; and a killer food court. The Mexican and Indian stalls are well worth fighting for a parking spot every Wednesday. On my most recent visit, I had the lamb curry naan wrap. Famazing. I think some of the stands accept credit cards, but most only take cash. So excited to see with the expansion that there are toilets and...no hippie drum circle madness! I love you Santa Cruz, but that got really old.

LOVE this farmer's market!!!! just discovered it this summer after hangin' in sta. cruz for all these years!!!! another simple pleasure of mine is walking around a farmer's market on a sunny day in the summer sampling all the summer fruits: peaches, nectarines, watermelon, strawberries, pluots & grapes. that day everyone seemed so happy & laid-back -- felt good to walk around w/ the positive vibe & energy. great walking around sampling all the goodies after 1 1/2 hour hot tub & sauna session @ well within. india clay oven had an awesome sampling station with naan & a variety of their dips/ dishes -- super yum, but had one of the longest lines. got some sweet juicy peaches & nectarines, organic valrohna chocolate brownie w/ walnuts & yummy sukhi's samosas........... can't wait to go back.....sad to say i won't be able to come back until next summer!!!!!!!! sta. cruz farmer's market will be our regular sta. cruz spot in the summer from now on.........

Fun to visit and beautiful to see! The homemade lemonade in the mason jars, the fresh blueberries are all such a treat. Great to bring children too!

Hippies of Santa Cruz unite! This place is as much a social scene as it is a food store. Extra props to the strawberry, mushroom, and samosa stands. Super duper props to the Mexi-peach and pitted fruit guys. Not only do they have unlimited free samples that you can pick up yourself, (unlike the rival peach stand on the other side, which forces you to personally ask a lady for samples), but they also crack great jokes about how their fruit is "cholesterol free!" and "low fat!". Minus a star for the pomegranate juice guys (it made me gut-wrenchingly sick once, probably because they don't pasteurize it) and lack of organic avocados ($1.50 for conventional is ridiculous). Be sure to ride your bike there if you can to maximize the positive impact feelings you get from shopping here. They have a bike-check for your convenience, and traffic gets pretty jammy. If it's the summer, be sure to bring a big hat. Also nice to bring: cloth grocery bags.

The Santa Cruz Farmers Market has a real community feel to it. I like it better than the San Mateo Farmers Market because it seems that the crowds it attracts is more friendly. Sometimes there are hippie types that play drums, and that makes the market feel so much more alive. I imagine the produce at the SC market is fresher than at the SF or other Bay Area markets, just because of its close proximity to Watsonville and the local farms. The parking situation is sometimes iffy because the market is open during the afternoon, between 2:30 and 6:30 PM. There is usually parking available in the parking structure nearby but street parking is difficult to find. If you don't have a car, the farmer's market is easily accessible by the Metro and is walking distance (one block away!) from Pacific Avenue. P.S. I forgot to mention that the market is only open on Wednesday afternoons! Support family farmers!

This is a great great great little farmers market. Everything is really cheap compared to other bay area markets - which is nice. I could go in with $25 and get food for all week. It's bustling with action and great on both Wed and Sat. Just another reason I want to move to Santa Cruz. Stop by for lunch if you are in town or just to pick up some healthy snacks to carry you through your trip! I heart this market!!

Dreadlocks, bongo drummers and patoile oil stench. You either love it, hate it, or have been anaestezied to this ongoing presence at the Farmer's Market. Some come to socialize, some come to get their freshies and get out, some come to people watch, and some come to do a bit of everything. What ever the reason, this is the heart and soul of Santa Cruzan. Who wouldn't want to purchase organic produce directly from small farmers?

The three stars are only because I'm not really a Farmers' Market person so I probably won't go in a long time, BUT this place does deserve 4-5 stars if you do love Farmers Markets! Everybody, the public and the workers, are super nice and I just feel a really social and welcoming atmosphere when I'm here. There are many booths available to look at, from freshly picked organic fruit to healthy chocolates to flavored almonds and more, so I find it pretty enjoyable walking around looking at the different types of food to purchase. There are almost always samples to eat from so you can see if you like the food before buying it. Also, they have food booths near the end of your walk, which consists of chicken, naan wraps, samosas, and much more. The samosas here are BOMB. They may be a little pricey ($1-$2), but biting into one definitely made my day. Also, I tried some of my friend's lamb naan wrap and it was tasty as well. However, the food here can be a bit pricey. Make sure to bring cash since most of the transactions take cash only. On the rare occassion, a credit card may be acceptable.

The samosa man is the shizznitz! I get veggies here during the summer when I am off from work.... also there is this one lady who used to sell these bomb cheesecake brownies...

One of the best Farmer's Markets we've attended. Fresh produce (peaches, broccolini, strawberries, corn) at very reasonable prices. In July it is on Wed from about 1:30 - 5:00. Not crowded. Pleasant vendors .... many selling their own produce. Right in the heart of downtown Santa Cruz. About a 15 min walk from the boardwalk. Santa Cruz Information Booth is just a short block away and you can get good maps and information.

This farmers market alone makes me wish I lived in Santa Cruz.... at least on Wednesdays. It's not pretentious like some other markets up north, and very much affordable. They're open 2:30-6:30PM on hump days -- very convenient for those who like to sleep in or work 9-5 jobs! Happy Boy Farms is my fav stand so far, offering delicious and organic loose salad greens and edible flowers ($5/lb), baby fennel (3/$1) and other lovely veggies. There's also local honey, citrus, strawberries, bread, Scream Sorbet (!), flowers, fish, eggs, food stands, etc. Live music makes it a really fun and relaxed atmosphere. (Map of vendors here: http://www.santacruzfarmersmarket.org/pics/SCFM-jpeg3.jpg) Parking is difficult on the street but a breeze if you head in the parking garage down the street (just 50-cents for an hour!).

LOTS of samples. In many ways comparable to the Ferry Building Farmer's market, except smaller. The something rose nectarine was soooooo sweet, and this is the only place i've seen it other than Ferry Building. There are a couple good food stand too, indian, crepe, etc. Parking is HARD. Park a couple streets down in the more residential area, a quarter gives you an hour, so stop blocking the traffic by cramming into the public parking lot.

What an absolute delight! The best Farmer's Market I've ever had the pleasure to visit and one to which I will return every time I'm in town. Not only is the produce fabulous, but so are the items at the food stalls. I loved the Naan Wrap with eggplant, but could just as easily tried the crepes or the Mexican food or the pizza--everything looked delicious. The market had that festival air about it; everyone seemed in a good mood enjoying the delights of the day. People stroll the aisles eating ice cream cones, drinking watermelon juice, or just sampling the offerings from various farms, such as the dreamy sweet nectarine slice I enjoyed. The strawberries here are the best in the world--super strawberry flavor, intensely sweet, and red all the way through. It's fun to try new things too, such as, for me, the purple basil. This market is a foodie's dream, and if you love supporting community agriculture, organic farming, and local growers, this is for you, although who am I telling when everyone in Santa Cruz seems already to know, love and support this glorious market.

Best farmers market we have EVER been to! Went on a weds and couldn't believe we were having oysters on the half shell at an outdoor market!!! Amazing and wish we lived closer to experience this every week!!

Given that Santa Cruz is at the epicenter of an area steeped in agriculture, I was disappointed by this market. While everything is supposedly organic, I found prices to be a bit high. All in all the produce was fresh and well presented, But, of course, limited by what is in season. So expect to have to visit your local grocery to fill in the holes.