The 3rd Street Promenade Farmers Market
Wednesdays 8:30 - 1:00
Arizona and 2nd Street

Being a general skeptic of hype, I approached the uber-hyped and all-popular farmers market at Santa Monica’s 3rd Street Promenade with a critical eye. In many ways, the hype is well earned, evidenced by the throngs (no exaggeration) which attend this farmers market every Wednesday and Saturday morning.

The Wednesday market was huge; it takes up the intersection of 3rd Street and Arizona, as well as a block over at 2nd Street. If you have issues with crowds or are not impressed by booth after booth of family-owned, totally organic farm produce, then just go to the Pico or Westside markets and save yourself the grief.

Once you actually penetrate the lunchtime density that is Santa Monica, and if you manage to find a parking spot in the endlessly tall parking structures on 4th or 2nd (two hours free!), you just have to follow any granola-esque couple or trendy looking luncher carrying a whole foods reusable bag to the market. Here, all of these types gather around herbs, arranged in wicker baskets as they envision how cute said produce would look on their kitchen counters. This is easy to envision, as there is more decorative arrangements and presentations of produce than I have ever seen at a farmers market.

No joke though, the quantity and selection of fresh herbs here was impressive. They also had fall gourds at Flora Bella Farms, almost as picturesque as a pile of fresh rosemary. And if you fancy yourself a farmer or garden person, you would be glad to find a ladybug salesman here to help manage those pesky aphids. Unique items like this help justify why this market is so trendy. Worth mentioning also was a potpourri and tea salesman and a long list of certified organic produce farmers. The Portabello Road of farmers markets, they will have whatever you are looking for here, including handmade cheeses and specialty milk products.

In addition to unique products I have not seen at other local markets, the degree of specialization is what makes it THE 3rd Street market. For example, instead of the usual vendor of fresh pita, hummus and baklava, there was a guy selling oil-free hummus and Wheatgrass shots. This was likely a big hit with a crowd that not only loves hummus, but is enough in the know to know they can buy it without oil.

You are definitely not going to get your fresh asada tacos from a greasy little stand at this market. For example, this is the only farmers market I have been to where there was a girl traveling around the crowd trying to sell spa packages. Instead of the simplest of mom and pops, you have either fancy family farms that require all their workers to wear matching straw hats, or very progressive endeavors like the gunnysack adorned Fairview Gardens Center for Urban Agriculture. I am not saying this difference is good or bad, it’s just a fact. Either way, this market is definitely worth seeing; there is a reason KCRW broadcasts a show from it every Saturday.

Photos by Shelby Chambers

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