With an average of 329 days of sun in LA, it is predictably on-brand for the city to love its farmers markets. And while we “effortlessly” dress up each Sunday in our Atwater best and drive to our nearest farmers market, circling no more than 3 times for parking, we hold the “original” farmers market on 3rd and Fairfax to a different standard.
It’s kind of in its own category. For one, it’s legacy property, in a city that doesn’t have much legacy. I mean, even Walt Disney World has a fake version of this market! Also, it isn’t so much known for the market as it is for the sprawling half indoor-half outdoor, well-shaded tenants that heavily skew towards food-serving vendors. Most people aren’t here for the groceries, though they have In a way, we treat it almost like Grand Central Market, except one we can go to on a weekday since it doesn’t require trekking all the way downtown. Compared to Grand Central Market, it’s also more well-branded: the iconic clocktower, the green and white farmhouse aesthetic.
The market has been around since 1934, and is still owned by the same family. Over the years, it’s gathered a lot of love from locals, with generations of Angelenos frequenting their favorite merchants, and become a tourist destination in its own right. The market itself has become an institution, and takes its historic and cultural role in the LA community seriously, being a center to host events, celebrations and cultural festivities. Plus, with The Grove next door, it’s a great full-day activity for the whole family.
the details
| Address | 6333 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA |
| Website | https://www.farmersmarketla.com/ |
| Yelp | https://www.yelp.com/biz/original-farmers-market-los-angeles |
| @farmersmarketla | |
| Hours | 9am to 9pm weekdays, 9am to 8pm Saturday, 10am to 7pm Sunday |
| Price | $-$$ – most vendors are about on par as your average farmers market, or a little more because after all, it’s a tourist destination. But like, less than the Disney version of it. |
| Aesthetic | charming, nostalgic, midcentury farmhouse aesthetic |
good to know
Go here for: an a la carte breakfast or lunch with the fam, where everyone can get what they want and then dine together.
Order this: I mean, there’s a reason there’s always a line at Pampas, you can never go wrong with a build-your-own Brazilian plate
Amount of time to spend: the 90 minutes of free parking should be plenty for a meal and perusing some of the vendors.
When to come: day time is best! Weekdays are a lot less hectic than weekends, but lunch time any day gets fairly busy.
Parking: can be confusing, they have separate parking lots for the farmers market and the Grove, even though they’re connected. The trick is that you can only get validation for each one from certain merchants, so make sure to park in the farmers market lots (the open ground level lots) only if you’re planning to go to the farmers market. Parking is free for 90 minutes with validation. The Grove parking structure offers 1 hour free parking without validation.
Other things to note:
- They have an upper dining deck with more seating if the lower level is too crowded.
- Some of the shops, like Zara, are actually considered a part of the farmers market and not the Grove… so be sure to double check when it comes to parking validation.
Last visited: March 2019
Last updated: February 2020
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