Los Altos farmers market

On Thursday evenings from spring to fall, State Street in downtown Los Altos fills with farm stands, food stalls, a band and families walking home with bags of peaches. The Downtown Los Altos Farmers' Market is one of the few evening markets near Palo Alto, which makes it an easy after-work stop. It is also seasonal, so timing matters.

This guide covers the market as its operator publishes it: when and where it runs, who organizes it, which farms sell there and what to do in the months when it is closed. For background on the district around it, see our downtown Los Altos guide.

Season, day and hours

According to the Pacific Coast Farmers' Market Association, which operates the market, the details are:

• Day and time: Thursdays, 4 to 8 p.m.
• Place: 200 State Street, Los Altos.
• 2026 season: April 30 to October 29.

The final market of 2026 was a Fall Fest on Thursday, October 29, with games, live music from the MegaAcoustic Duo and wine by the glass from Single Row Wines, according to the Los Altos Village Association. That means the market has just closed for the year. The 2027 opening date had not been posted when we checked. Going by recent years, expect a spring start, but confirm on the operator's market page before you plan around it.

Who runs it

Three groups work together. The Pacific Coast Farmers' Market Association, known as PCFMA, is based in Concord and runs certified farmers markets across the Bay Area. It manages the vendors and the market itself. The Los Altos Village Association, the downtown merchants' group, co-presents the market and lists it among its yearly events. The City of Los Altos supports it.

In 2026 the market's sponsors included State Street Market, the food hall on the same street. The Los Altos Mountain View Community Foundation was a sponsor too. That partnership is why the market feels like a downtown event as much as a grocery run.

PCFMA describes its markets as certified farmers markets. In California that term means the farm stands sell produce they grew themselves, under a certificate issued by the county agricultural commissioner. Prepared food, bakeries and craft stalls sit alongside the farmers but are a separate category. If you want to buy straight from the grower, look for the farm stands and ask where the fruit was picked. Farmers can usually tell you which varieties are coming next.

Farms and food vendors

PCFMA publishes a vendor list for each market. The 2026 list for Los Altos was long, with farms from the Central Valley, the Salinas and Pajaro valleys and the coast. A selection, with the home towns PCFMA lists:

The list also includes Nuno Family Farms, King Ranch Farms, Lopez Family Farm, P&K Farms and West Coast Berry Producer, plus seafood from Dragon Baby Seafood and sweet corn from Chava's Corn. Vendor lists change between seasons, so treat this as a guide to the market's range rather than a promise for next year.

Prepared food

Much of the evening crowd comes for dinner. The 2026 list included tamales, empanadas, Indian food, Thai street food, hummus, rotisserie from Roli Roti, kettle corn and crepes, shave ice and baked goods from bakeries such as Little Sky Bakery. A knife sharpening stall rounds it out. Live music and wine by the glass appear on featured nights.

What is in season when

Because the market runs from late April to late October, it catches the best of the Northern California growing year:

1. Late April and May: strawberries, early cherries, greens, asparagus and peas.
2. June and July: apricots, cherries, early peaches, berries and summer squash.
3. August and September: peak tomatoes, melons, corn, peppers, figs and grapes.
4. October: apples, pears, pomegranates, winter squash, peanuts and the first persimmons.

PCFMA's own blog marks persimmons as a sign of fall at its markets and listed fresh peanuts as a seasonal highlight for Los Altos in October 2026. Apricots carry special meaning here. The Santa Clara Valley was once covered in apricot orchards and the Los Altos History Museum still stands in one.

Parking and getting there

PCFMA notes that street parking and public lots are on the streets around the market. Downtown Los Altos has about 1,400 free public spaces, mostly in plazas behind the shops. The city stops enforcing time limits at 6 p.m. Because the market takes over part of State Street, enter the plazas from the cross streets or from Edith Avenue and San Antonio Road.

From Palo Alto the drive takes 10 to 15 minutes by Foothill Expressway or by Alma Street and San Antonio Road. There is no Caltrain station in Los Altos. If you are in town for a few days of markets and food, you can compare hotels near Los Altos in Palo Alto and Mountain View, since Los Altos itself has few rooms.

When the market is closed

From November to April, several markets nearby keep going:

• Palo Alto's California Avenue market runs on Sundays all year. See our California Avenue guide.
• Palo Alto's downtown market runs on Saturdays all year.
• Mountain View has its own market; see our Mountain View farmers market guide.
• Holiday markets in Los Altos. The Los Altos Village Association lists holiday markets at State Street Market on Thursdays, December 10 and 17, 2026, from 4 to 8 p.m., with live music and visits with Santa.

Our Palo Alto farmers markets guide compares them all. For specialty shops open every day, see our guide to groceries and specialty food.

Tips for a market evening

• Arrive early for the best produce and the shortest food lines. Prepared food draws a dinner crowd later on.
• Bring your own bags and a cooler bag in summer if you will stop elsewhere afterward.
• Payment options vary by stall, so carry some small bills as a backup.
• PCFMA runs CalFresh/EBT and WIC programs across its markets. Ask at the market information booth what this market accepts.
• Combine the market with dinner at one of the downtown Los Altos restaurants or the food hall.

Frequently asked questions