The best farmers’ markets in Los Angeles

The only reason we'd gladly visit Hollywood just might be the neighborhood's weekly farmers' market, held rain or shine every Sunday from 8am to 1pm. As one of the first farmers' markets ever in California, the strip of vendors that stretches along Ivar Boulevard and Selma Avenue has grown to over 70 farmers, producers and artisans, and also serves as a venue for live music, cookbook signing and mouth-watering chef demonstrations. Stock up on California-grown avocados, dates, seafood, honey, free-range poultry—or head to the stretch of prepared-foods vendors, where you’ll find whole chickens roasting over a spit; Thai food seared, fried and grilled before your very eyes; and loaves of Bub and Grandma’s bread: some of the best in the city. A gem of a community gathering space and the platonic ideal of locavore shopping, the Hollywood Farmers' Market is a true must-visit for both locals and tourists alike.

One of the city's newer farmers' markets, LA River Farmers' Market pops up weekly in Chinatown's Los Angeles Historic State Park on Thursdays, 3–7:30pm. While there's fewer options in terms of produce, you'll find a host of prepared food vendors, including Gu Grocery, one of our favorite Chinese bakeries in the city. Plus, due to the location, parking is relatively painless—and if doing all that shopping has tired you out, you can always grab a beer afterward at the nearby Highland Park Brewery.

This little market—held in the parking lot behind Club Tee Gee every Sunday from 9am to 2pm—is a true neighbhorhood mainstay. It's small, but the patrons are regulars (and mostly locals) and the produce is top-notch. Aside from the normal fruit and veg stalls, the market offers vendors for pies, quiches, organic cheese curds, plant-based yogurt and cheese, and gourmet Carribean cuisine. You'll find all sorts of unique treats here like raw sugar cane juice. Grab a coffee if you’re an early morning market-goer, or get your knives sharpened if it's been a while (the perfect inspiration to head home and cook with your market groceries).

For a smaller Sunday farmers' market experience with a high fashion L.A. crowd, look no further than the one at Melrose Place, which doesn't start up until around 10am and goes until 2pm—the perfect market for late-risers. Fresh produce, floral stands and prepared food abounds here, but the plant vendors and small clothing and jewelry stands make the Melrose Place Farmers' Market more of a leisure destination than a market for hardcore cooking nerds. Plus, the market's proximity to Alfred Coffee and plenty of high-end designers mean a visit here is always great for people watching.

There are a few farmers' markets scattered throughout Pasadena and its surrounding suburbs, but the South Pasadena Farmers' Market is by far the best. Held every Thursday from 4pm to 7pm, this weekday market hosts certified producers selling an array of goods, including wellness items like shots of wheatgrass from Bolanos Family Sprouts. Meat eaters can select cuts of beef from Ojai's Harvest Gathering Farm, and everything from artichokes to dried beans is up for sale at the Suncoast Farms booth. One of the most popular vendors, however, is Carmela Ice Cream: On hot summer days, shoppers line up for scoops of artisan ice cream and gelato, while those looking for a more savory snack head to Mama Musubi and Nana’s for gourmet musubi and pupusas—easy foods to eat and stroll. Remember to bring your own bags, and if you're one of the few Angelenos who've embraced public transportation, you're in luck—the market is right next to the Gold Line's South Pasadena Station.

Tucked away in the canyons of the Santa Monica Mountains, Topanga Farmers Market is L.A.’s most scenic farmers’ market. Held most Fridays 9am to 1pm in the parking lot of the Topanga Community Center, the diverse selection of vendors includes prominent organic farms like Cuyama Orchards and Weiser Family Farmers, plus stalls selling kefir yogurt, mushrooms and freshly pressed corn tortillas. Note: Since Topanga Canyon Road is closed for repairs, the only way to access this farmers’ market is through the 101—so plan accordingly.

If the insanity of the Hollywood Farmers' Market on Sundays is too much for you, this quieter Valley farmers' market on Saturday mornings (9:30am–2:30pm) offers a diverse mix of produce, prepared food, clothing and jewelry stands. For the kiddos, there's usually a bounce house and other fun activities. Among prepared foods, you'll find a Brooklyn-style breakfast sandwiches, vegan burritos and freshly made tuna poke.

Lining Ventura Place each Sunday from 8am to 1pm, the Studio City Farmers' Market is a mecca for spirited home cooks in the San Fernando Valley. Stock up on blocks of cheddar, slices of margherita pizza from Olive Wood Pizza, and kombuchas. There's a gluten-free bakery, there's a stand for vegan yogurt, there are snacks and jams and jellies galore. Doing your market shopping with kids in tow? Market-goers with children can keep the young’uns entertained with activities such as a petting zoo and a bouncy castle—and, as an additional incentive for helping with the groceries, a train ride.

Every Sunday (8am–1pm), in the parking lot of East L.A. Civic Center, this smaller Eastside market offers organic produce and locally made apparel and home goods alongside prepared food vendors selling pan dulce, tacos, aguas frescas and more.