Finding Farmers' Markets - Laguna Hills, 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.

If I had to be truly honest, I must confess that I did not even know that Laguna Hills was a city in Orange County until after I applied to where I work now. Based on the name, I figured it would be near Laguna Beach (it is) but I did not know it even existed. A small-ish city that borders Irvine, Laguna Hills is not known for much other than a lot of retired folks live in the area. When I found out it too had a farmers' market that was on a weekday, I decided I ought to check it out during my lunch break. Situated in the parking lot of the Laguna Hills Mall behind Sears, the farmers' market is not very large but it does have a bit of everything you might need. This market runs on Fridays from 9am-1pm and is a good spot for picking up some things for the weekend that you might have forgotten to grab.



Many of the vendors there boast their organic produce and products with flags hanging from their pop-up tents. I should not have been surprised to see that many of the vendors represented were also ones that are present at the larger farmers' market in Irvine near UCI. It makes sense - the cities are near each other. I spotted the salami stand with its excellent cured meats and avocado oil, the people who put together gift-worthy succulent arrangements in beautiful glass displays, the grass-fed beef guys, and a few others. The entrance to the market features the various fresh produce on one side and more meats/food product on the other side.


Like at the Irvine Farmers' Market by UCI, this one had some unique groceries that I haven't seen at many others. There is actually a farmer there who specializes in different varieties of sweet potatoes which I was not even aware existed. There were at least seven variations on my particular visit. Large Maui onions also graced his tables. It was unexpected to see this variety considering the demographic of Laguna Hills but if you are in the area, now you know where you can get product like okra, taro, and ube!


If you aren't looking for fresh produce, there are also several food product vendors, some of whom I could not resist purchasing from. Millicent's features award-winning jellies, jams, and fruit butters that can be sampled. I bought myself a few jars of those! There are also different bakeries available who sell common bread products and ones who sell gluten-free, organic baked goods. Towards the back in the shade is also a seafood vendor with fresh fish in large ice buckets. It may be a small market but it has just enough difference from tent to tent to get all of your shopping done in one place for the weekend.


Of course, if you're just looking for gifts or something craftsy, there are a handful of people who can fill your need there. One woman had an assembly of orchids that you could get while another had buckets full of fresh-cut flowers. If you need to rest from the heat or shopping, there is a seated area where you could also eat from the featured vendor in the far back who serves made-to-order food. I'd have to say that I could see myself coming to this market if I needed to pick up something really quick in the area but I wouldn't recommend making it a destination spot for now. Hardly any of the vendors spoke to me (or other guests from what I saw) that day!

Photography by Minerva Thai. 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.