Palo Alto farmers markets

Palo Alto has two certified farmers markets and they split the weekend neatly. The downtown market takes Saturday morning. The California Avenue market takes Sunday. Both run all year, both are small enough to walk in half an hour and both are full of farmers who drive in from the Central Valley, the coast and the Capay Valley. A third big market sets up on Sunday mornings in Mountain View, 10 minutes south.

This guide covers when and where each market runs, who organizes it, what you can buy and how to get there. Market details change, so check the organizer links before you go.

The markets at a glance

Downtown Palo Alto Farmers' Market (Saturday)

The Saturday market sets up in the city parking lots on Gilman Street between Hamilton and Forest avenues, behind the downtown post office. According to the market's website, it runs from 8 a.m. to noon year-round, rain or shine. It takes a short break over the winter holidays, typically about three Saturdays. The market announces those dates on its site and in a newsletter that goes out every Friday with that week's vendor list.

A market with a history

The market began in 1981. Downtown Palo Alto had lost its last grocery store and board members and staff at Avenidas, the local nonprofit for older adults, started the market to bring fresh food back to downtown residents. It became an independent nonprofit in 1986. An all-volunteer board still runs it and the market donates its proceeds to Avenidas. The market says it has given more than half a million dollars over the years.

What you will find

The downtown market is a California Certified Farmers' Market. That means the farmers selling produce grew it themselves and state and county officials inspect the market. The 2026 vendor list on the market's vendor page gives a good sense of the range:

• Vegetables and greens from organic farms such as Blue Heron Farms in Watsonville and Full Belly Farm in the Capay Valley, plus Giusti Farms and Cabrillo Farms from the San Mateo coast.
• Fruit from stone fruit growers like Kashiwase Farms, apples and fresh-pressed cider from Smit Farms, avocados grown in the Fremont hills by Singh Farms and more than 18 varieties of dates from Flying Disc Ranch.
• Dry-farmed tomatoes in late summer from Molino Creek Farm Collective in Davenport and Miramonte Farms.
• Protein including fish from the fishing vessel Anne B, ostrich from Gilroy, lamb, pork and goat from Wind Dancer and milk and eggs from Alexandre Family Farms.
• Bread and pastries from Little Sky Bakery in Menlo Park and Panorama Bakery, plus bagels, rugelach and babka from Wise Sons.
• Ready-to-eat food such as dim sum from Bao Bao Express, crepes, Pakistani rotis and curries from Roti and Oaxacan dishes from the Zaida's Kitchen food truck.
• Flowers, honey and pantry goods including cut flowers, local raw honey from beehives in Menlo Park's Allied Arts neighborhood, olive oil, hummus, nut butters and kombucha.

Vendors rotate with the seasons, so the list changes through the year. The market also runs a music program, so you will often shop to a live set.

Parking and getting there

The market says there is plenty of free street parking nearby and a small public lot right next to the stalls. The Palo Alto Caltrain station is about a 10-minute walk away. Downtown cafes and bakeries open early, which makes it easy to combine the market with breakfast. Our downtown guide maps the surrounding blocks.

California Avenue Farmers Market (Sunday)

On Sundays the market moves to California Avenue, Palo Alto's second downtown. Stalls line the car-free stretch of the street starting at El Camino Real. According to the organizer's market page, it runs Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., every week, year-round, rain or shine. The organizer publishes a closure schedule for the rare dates it does not run.

The Urban Village Farmers' Market Association runs this market. It has operated certified farmers markets in the Bay Area since 1997 and runs 10 markets in the South Bay and East Bay. The Sunday crowd is heavy on families and the street's restaurants open their patios, so many people shop and then stay for lunch.

EBT, WIC and Market Match

The Cal Ave market accepts CalFresh EBT and WIC and takes part in Market Match, California's healthy food incentive program. The organizer explains how it works:

1. Go to the information booth with your EBT card.
2. Choose how much to withdraw. You receive $1 market coins.
3. The market matches your withdrawal dollar for dollar, up to $15 a day, in separate coins.
4. Spend the match coins on fruits and vegetables. They do not expire.

WIC checks can be spent at any fruit or vegetable stand. The organizer advises spending the entire amount of each check.

Extras

On the first Sunday of each month, a knife-sharpening service sets up at the market. The organizer offers text reminders the night before. Bring your kitchen knives and pick them up before you leave.

Parking and getting there

The market block is closed to cars. Use the public lots and garages a block or two off California Avenue. Caltrain's California Avenue station sits at the east end of the street, so the train drops you a short walk from the stalls. Check weekend train times on the Caltrain website first.

Nearby: the Mountain View market

The Mountain View Farmers' Market runs Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Caltrain station lot at 600 West Evelyn Avenue, rain or shine. The California Farmers' Markets Association runs it and says it has served the area since 1994 with 80 or more family farmers. The organizer calls it one of the largest farmers markets in California. It is a good choice when you want the widest range of produce in one stop.

The market relocates to the Hope Street lots on some Sundays. Upcoming moves posted on its website include November 8, November 29 and December 13, 2026. The organizer suggests the free city lots along Hope Street and the garage at Bryant Street and West Evelyn Avenue for parking.

What is in season

California's long growing season keeps the markets busy in every month. Here is a rough guide to what peaks when.

Late summer is the high point at both markets. Fall brings apples and cider and the last of the tomatoes, while winter is quieter but still well stocked with greens and citrus.

Tips for a good market morning

• Arrive in the first hour. Popular fruit, bread and eggs can sell out before closing.
• Bring bags and small bills. Payment options vary from stall to stall.
• Leave the dog at home. California's Health and Safety Code bars live animals other than service animals from certified farmers markets. Volunteers at the downtown market offer to watch dogs at their table.
• Ask before you taste. Each stall sets its own rules on samples.
• Plan a picnic. Buy bread, cheese and fruit and walk to a park. Our Rinconada Park guide and the wider parks guide have ideas.
• Bring the kids. Markets are an easy family outing. See Palo Alto with kids for more ideas.

Making a morning of it

Both markets sit in walkable districts. After the Saturday market, you are a few blocks from University Avenue's cafes. Our coffee guide lists places to sit and work. After the Sunday market, California Avenue's restaurants and patios are steps away. For brunch ideas on either day, see our brunch guide.

Frequently asked questions