By Sara Ortega and Ana Marie Aguas
If there’s one event the SacFoodies look forward to this time of year, it’s the farmer’s market conveniently located right outside our office on Capitol Mall! We are always delighted every Thursday by the scent of grilling Indian cuisine, baking Italian pizza and some of the best food trucks in town, including, Krush Burger and Wicked ‘Wich.
It’s almost too good to be true! Some of the best fruit, vegetable, flower, herb and even artisan olive oil vendors offer their fine products for visitors to browse and purchase. Our personal favorite is the pistachio vendor that offers more than two dozen different pistachio flavors to fit any liking.
Market vendors are local and provide some truly unique and authentically grown products. Now through September 26, every Thursday, take a breath of fresh air and treat yourself to the ultimate Artisanal experience at the Capitol Mall Farmer’s Market.
Capitol Mall Farmers Market
6th and Capitol Mall
(Between 5th & 6th St.)
Open EVERY THURSDAY
10:00 AM – 1:30 PM
Open May – September
Davis Farmers Market, Among the Nation’s Best
When the weather warms up and summer is in full bloom, one of the most anticipated activities for many is visiting local farmers markets. There is no better place to pick up delicious fruits, veggies, flowers and often times a variety of other specialty products from local vendors.
I’d have to say the most robust farmers market I ever visited was a Saturday afternoon market in New York’s Greenwich Village. Luckily for us in the Sacramento region, there is no need to travel far and wide to find a fun farmers market. In fact, the immensely popular market held year-round in Davis was named one of the top 10 in the nation by USA Today. The highly anticipated “Picnic in the Park” begins annually at the end of March and runs through October. This weekly Wednesday evening event was hailed for its social and family friendly aspect, as well its abundance of fresh goods.
Congratulations to our neighbor on this awesome shout out! In addition to the market in Davis, the Sacramento region hosts a dozen fabulous farmers markets throughout the week. Chances are there is one close to you! Click here for a list of local certified farmers markets. Enjoy!
Photo courtesy of The Davis Farmers Market
Historic Folsom’s Farmers Market
On a recent Sunday morning while most of my family slept, my daughter, sister, aunt and I headed over to the Farmers Market at 900 Sutter Street in historic Folsom. With the sun shining and a giant cup of coffee in hand, we parked on a side street and traipsed across the cobblestones to peek into the more than two dozen stalls that make up this Sunday morning market.
From 8 AM to noon you can taste and purchase locally grown fruit and honey, a variety of fresh vegetables and beautiful flowers, as well as baked goods and homemade sauces. We sampled sweet white nectarines, as well as locally procured honey infused with a hint of blackberry. We saw pomegranate grilling sauces, fresh green beans, eggplant, zucchini, squash, tomatoes, beets – you name it.
Since my sister’s baby shower was only a few hours away, we spent a lot of time at the flower stall, where for $6 I was able to purchase a beautiful bouquet of summer flowers. (I loved them so much I ended up buying two!)
As we left, we noticed scores of people enjoying breakfast at various Sutter Street cafes and vowed that our next trip to this picturesque market would include breakfast!
Folsom Farmers Market
900 Sutter Street in historic Folsom
Sundays, 8 AM – Noon
June -October
Davis: One Small Town, Two Distinct Farmers Markets
There were many reasons why my husband and I decided to move to Davis a few years ago: it’s a small town with many eateries, various sporting and music events thanks to UCD and oh yeah, the famous Davis Farmers Market. It wasn’t until we settled in that I came to find out that Davis has not one, but two farmers markets – each unique in its food and fun.
First, there’s the Saturday morning market, which everyone seems to know about as it draws a crowd from neighboring towns and cities. This is more of your traditional market, with various fruit and vegetable booths, flowers, natural meats, a few local wineries and fun Davis crafts. One of my favorite Saturday morning activities is to grab a cup of drip coffee and browse the produce for dinner inspiration. It’s a farmer’s farmers market, which I love.
The Wednesday night market is a whole different ballgame; it feels more like a community picnic in the park. There’s always a band set up on the grassy “stage” area and Central Park is covered in blankets, families, strollers and kids. There is a group of tables set up on the side for people who didn’t bring a blanket and it’s common for folks to bring a bottle of wine and a board game. And I don’t mean a few board games – these people are serious Scrabble tournament types! There is often a rock climbing wall, pony rides and bounce houses set up to help entertain the young ones. And the booths are also different: there are a few produce booths, but the majority are local restaurants. The perfect way to “do” the Wednesday night market is to pack a blanket and come hungry. Everyone in your family can try a different restaurant for dinner and dessert and relax on the grass while enjoying music. My go-to is the tri-tip sandwich and apple slaw from the Buckhorn, and a popsicle from the popsicle bike, this time it was the blueberry lemon yogurt – yum!
Davis Farmers Markets
Central Park
4th and C Streets
Saturday: 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (year-round)
Wednesday: 4:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. (summer only)
Farmers Market – X & 9th Streets
I never really appreciated fresh produce before I moved to Sacramento two years ago. Things like fruit stands and farmers markets overflowing with fruits and vegetables, likely picked and delivered straight from nearby farms that morning, just don’t exist in Phoenix as they do in California. These days, Sunday morning visits to the farmers market on X and 9th streets in downtown Sacramento have not only become a regular part of my weekly routine, but they’re one of my favorite parts about living in this city.
There are a lot of reasons why strolling through the downtown farmers market each Sunday has become an almost therapeutic way for me to “check out” before heading back to the daily grind on Monday. It’s the unassuming location and popping up like clockwork under a freeway overpass each week; the friendly faces of the “mushroom lady,” “avocado guy” and “chicken lady” I now look forward to seeing and chatting with weekly; the huge selection of fresh fruit, veggies, meat, seafood, pastries and flowers just begging to be taken home. Needless to say, this particular farmers market is a “must” on my list of things to do in Sacramento. Regardless of what’s on your shopping list, you’re sure to find what you’re looking for – and then some!