Finding Farmers' Markets - Buena Park, CA

This post is part of a series Much Ado About Fooding is doing on farmers' markets - Duc and I plan to visit as many as we can, starting in southern California, to get a sense of what sets each apart, what drives communities to them, and what gems people should look out for. To keep track, bookmark the "Farmers' Market" category.

The Buena Park Downtown Local Harvest Farmers' Market is located in the parking lot of Orange County's 20th largest mall, the Buena Park Mall (also one of the first malls in the county, built in 1961). The market commences every Saturday from 9AM-2PM with a sizable number of vendors from Certified California Grown Fruits and Vegetables farms to gourmet specialty food vendors to arts and crafts creators to even cooked fare vendors. We have been to this market twice now and every time, have discovered something to love about the vendors that are there on those visits.




Produce seems to be a strong focus at the Buena Park Farmers' Market instead of just artisan and gourmet products. Not only are the booths bountiful with beautiful baskets and bushels but the costs are also some of the lowest we've seen so far at farmers' markets. Is it the community? Perhaps. Some vendors' prices are akin to those found in Orange County's notoriously low-priced ethnic supermarkets, so it was certainly tempting to buy everything there.


Present were also some specialty produce farmers and growers. One particular stand that stood out sold so many different live starter herbs and vegetable plants that just about any varietal could be found. She even sold edible flowers. For those deciding to visit this market, most vendors accept only cash. If you are really not one to carry cash with you, the Information booth has the ability to accept payment and issue out equitable tickets containing cash value to be used as payment which definitely comes in handy!


The arts and crafts area is filled out well also. The most prolific of this category seemed to be jewelry though from styles of classic to tribal to abstract. A very interesting creator that we came across was an elderly gentleman who sold interactive airplane mobiles created from recycled aluminum cans! Soda and beer cans were repurposed into toy airplanes whose propellers moved in the wind. They were fascinatingly well-crafted, shiny, and colorful. There were also several other vendors with unique wares for sale including dog clothing.


The most notable part of Buena Park's Farmers' Market however, despite the produce and crafts, was the heavy emphasis on cooked food stands. There were more than enough tents of food stands slinging impressive stall food such as the pupusas we could not deny. Some represent existing restaurants while others are only found at farmers' markets, making it more crucial to return! The ample seating area was always full as families indulged in the accessibility of freshly cooked, reliably inexpensive food. Additionally, there is always live music! We'd have to say that this is a farmers' market not to miss if you are looking for a meal to eat right then and there as well as some produce for the week.

Photography by Duc Duong. More photos available on Facebook here.

This post is part of a series Much Ado About Fooding is doing on farmers' markets - Duc and I plan to visit as many as we can, starting in southern California, to get a sense of what sets each apart, what drives communities to them, and what gems people should look out for. To keep track, bookmark the "Farmers' Market" category.