An updated comprehensive list of all the best and worst Oakland farmers markets. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Including dates, hours, months, vendors, entertainment, and food items you may expect to find.
What time / date is the Oakland Farmers Market?
| Date | Farmer Market | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Friday | Old Oakland Market | 8am – 2pm |
| Saturday | Grand Lake Market Freedom Market | 9am – 2pm 10an – 3pm |
| Sunday | Jack London Market Temescal Market Montclair Market West Oakland Market Fruitvale Market | 11am – 4pm 9am – 1pm 9am – 1pm 10am – 2pm 8am – 3:30pm |
Oakland Farmers Markets List
From the California Department of Agriculture Certified Farmer’s Market List
The best Oakland fresh food and produce Farmers Markets. Many of these markets include live music and arts and crafts. This list is current for 2023 and updated when new information arises.
While all these amazing markets are available in your neighborhoods, don’t forget with new technology, it is very easy to grow organic produce inside your home and even in your own kitchen with one of these kitchen garden systems.
Old Oakland Farmers Market
| Day: | Friday |
|---|---|
| Hours: | 8 am – 2 pm |
| Season: | Year round, rain or shine |
| Location: | Old Oakland near Downtown |
| Address: | 9th & Broadway |
| Website: | Urban Village |
| Notes: | They accept WIC, EBT, and Match |
An obvious favorite for many, your best option for a Friday Market.
The Old Oakland Market has been running for over 20 years and it is the first big market of the weekend. This particular farmer market is great because you can go there on your lunch break(if you’re lucky enough to work in or around downtown Oakland), get great food, listen to live music, eat in the sun and stock up for your kitchen. There is generally some form of live music, an amazing tamale stand, and some supreme hot links. I was in fact lucky enough to work nearby at the Port of Oakland and go here with coworkers every Friday.
Here are just a few of their certified organic vendors you can find there on any given week.
Avila Farms, Capay Organics, Chinchiolo Farms, Far West Fungi, Far West Cider, Feral Heart, Halls Organics, Triple J Olives, Twin Girls Orchard, and much more!
Grand Lake Farmers Market
| Day: | Saturday |
|---|---|
| Hours: | 9 am – 2 pm |
| Season: | Year round, rain or shine |
| Location: | Grand Lake District |
| Address: | Splash Pad Park |
| Website: | Agricultural Institute of Marin |
| Notes: | A short video |
The Grand Lake Farmer’s Market is a hidden oasis under the 580 and it’s bustling with livelihood. With almost 100 vendors, live music, prepared food, art, and clothes vendors it is often rated the best Farmer’s Market in Oakland and the East Bay. You can not possibly walk by without being sucked in by the smell of kettle corn.
An interesting note, they are a Marin based company. For local organic shoppers, it is a tough choice between Marin based Grand Lake Market and the Oakland Based Old Oakland and Jack London Market. I stand by local Oakland, long-running, community involved and supported. Marin has done enough for Oakland’s rent increases already.
Jack London Square Farmers Market
| Day: | Sunday |
|---|---|
| Hours: | 11 am – 4 pm |
| Season: | Year round, rain or shine |
| Location: | Jack London Square |
| Address: | Water Street |
| Website: | Wiggins Markets |
| Notes: | My favorite Sunday market |
I would say the best, a very fine Sunday market with a variety of fresh local organic fruit, freshly baked bread, vegetables, nuts, flowers, artisan booths, and more. The Jack London Market also has added features such as a performance stage with new local acts playing weekly and a free outdoor Yoga class and other events every week.
I would say this is the best weekend Farmers Market. It is very locally driven since 1989, has live entertainment, the best possible location, on the waterfront in beautiful JLS, has a wide variety of local organic vendors, and a local community-driven backing. Their website also contains the most information about vendors who sell at this market. This alone is huge. You often have to wonder who you are buying from at other markets while the Jack London one has Seller Profiles with lots of juicy information. I suggest you support these guys over the Grand Lake Marin based guys if you are looking for a great Farmers Market experience and a solid local company to invest your dollars in. The choice should be obvious.
Even better! They do not allow dogs! So you don’t have to worry about a bunch of Yupsters parading their dogs around all up in your food mix. California Health & Safety Code 114259.5(section 7) states live animals are not allowed in certified organic markets. With the exception of actual service animals.
Temescal Farmers Market
| Day: | Sunday |
|---|---|
| Hours: | 9 am – 1 pm |
| Season: | Year round, rain or shine |
| Location: | Temescal Ditrict |
| Address: | Claremont DMV |
| Website: | Urban Village |
| Notes: | For Sunday, Jack London is a better option. |
Hidden away in the parking lot of the Claremont California Department of Motor Vehicles you will find this little hot spot Farmers Market. In the Temescal District and sponsored by the Temescal Telegraph Business Improvement District. While on the smaller side and nowhere near as fun as the Jack London Market, still a nice rotation of organic food options. Here are some of the vendors that you may find there at any given time. However, they do rotate between other markets and some are seasonal.
Blossom Bluff, Capay Mills, Fenella’s Berries, Good Faith Farms, Gattonelli Farms, Happy Boy Farms, Inzana Farms, Kashiwase Farms, Kassenhoff Nursery, Living Apothecary, Lucero Farms, Mama Tong Soups, Massa Organics, Northridge, Oasis Dates, Pinnacle Farms, Smit Ranch, Sunrise Family Farms, Stepladder Ranch, Tomatero Farms, Tofu-Yu, Bee Healthy Honey
Montclair Farmers Market
| Day: | Sunday |
|---|---|
| Hours: | 9 am – 1 pm |
| Season: | Year round, rain or shine |
| Location: | Oakland Hills |
| Address: | Montclair Village |
| Website: | Urban Village |
| Notes: | Good if you live in the Oakland Hills |
Montclair has one thing going for it. If you live in the Oakland Hills, it is closest to you. I would go here over Temescal but still, head to Jack London if I was able to. Put on locally by the Montclair Village Association, it is a good thing for the local residents but not worth the drive for those of you in the flats.
They say Urban Village runs it now, the same people who run the Oald Oakland Friday Market and Temeescal Market, but JLS still tops the Sunday charts.
West Oakland Farmers Market
| Day: | Sunday |
|---|---|
| Hours: | 10 am – 2 pm |
| Season: | Year round, rain or shine |
| Location: | West Oakland |
| Address: | Peralta St |
| Website: | Prescott West Oakland |
| Notes: | Yet another Sunday Market |
Just what Sunday needs, another farmer market to compete with Jack London Squares’ awesome market. Never mind Saturday, the nearly empty day. I swear there must be a mafia running these things.
The good thing is this serves West Oakland, a ghetto food desert. Why is it like that? Because someone else, not because of the local residents.
Alterneative Smaller Farmers Markets
OK, we’re only listing these ones because we are offering a full list of Oakland Farmer Markets. These are smaller, less traveled, fewer options, not open year-round, and all-around a waste of time if you go to a real one like the Jack London Square or Old Oakland market once a week. However, if you are already in the neighborhood of one of these our live nearby, it can be a place to stop. And I’m not kidding, some of these offer straight-up common store-bought items as specialties.
Fruitvale “Public” Market
| Day: | Tuesday & Thursday, Sunday |
|---|---|
| Hours: | 11am-7pm & 8am-3:30pm |
| Season: | Year round |
| Location: | Fruitvale BART |
| Address: | Fruitvale Village |
| Website: | The Unity Council |
| Notes: | Is it even a real market? |
I don’t even consider this an actual Farmers Market but on their website they still call it one. Looks like elsewhere they are branding it as a “Public Market” which may be more accurate. No worth your time on a Sunday.
We’re only mentioning this one because they list themselves as a farmers market. I’ve gone and seen 2 vendors, nuts, and oranges. You can check out reviews online and see many others reporting the same thing. It may get better as this neighborhood is at the forefront of the next big gentrification boom, being next to Fruitvale BART and all.
Freedom Farmers Market
| Day: | Saturday |
|---|---|
| Hours: | 10 am – 3 pm |
| Season: | August – November |
| Location: | Homeless Market |
| Address: | Ever Changing |
| Website: | About Farms to Grow |
| Notes: | Never support segregation |
This one is a little weird because instead of just being a Farmers Market like all the others, they make it clear to state they are a “certified black farmers market” on most of their promotions and media. They have even gone as far as to say “Oakland as we engage a community vibe of self-reliance”. Which I guess that is good but hey, open up, be inclusive, and drop the race-baiting game. It’s 2023. Oakland has a lot of markets that any producer can join no matter what ethnicity or background so something like this seems inclusive and counterproductive, but whatever. There you have it, blacks only farmers market. I was unsure of putting this on the list because it promotes division and barriers, but maybe they’ll stop this race stuff and just be an Oakland Farmers Market and join the open community.
Update: in 2020 the Oakland website closed down and a new one popped up with the same name in Los Angeles. They accept “browns” now too. This statement was added to their website. “Freedom Farmers’ Market is an exclusively Black and Brown farmers market”. Surely it is the same clowns who failed after trying their division tactics for profit in Oakland. Now they attempt to profit in LA.
Update: They are back in Oakland.
I call them homeless because over the course of a few years, they have had at least 5 locations and are having a hard time getting a solid footing. One of the first locations, if not the first, was right next to the existing Temescal DMV Market. They straight up set up shop next door and said look at us, we’re for blacks only. Like that would ever thrive. No wonder they can’t hold a location down. These vendors could have easily joined the existing market but felt the need to divide. Then again, it could just be the owners seeing a profitable market in using racial tactics and hoping to gain business from those who refuse to buy from anyone other than African Americans. It’s all so hard to imagine, but they are doing it.
Latest Update: I think they finally failed with their self-imposed barriers. They surely changed locations yet again. According to their Facebook, they are spamming a film viewing over and over trying to make a quick buck on a film about Black Farming in various cities. Either way, Oakland does not need this attitude. Either join the community or move on. We already have great markets that are open to all. Your segregation tactics are for bird brains.
Closed Down Oakland Farmer Markets
East Oakland Farmers Market closed for good. Anyone in Oakland knows nothing good last long in the Deep East(not even Walgreens). Even the “blacks only” market won’t set up out there. instead, they try to compete in “gentrified” neighborhoods that already have amazing markets. All while claiming to “bring healthy food to the black community”. Well, go to the deep east. They need you. No one needs you across the street from long-running well-established existing successful inclusive markets. Take your stupid tactics to the Eastmont “Mall” parking lot.
It’ll be a while before that place sees Gentrification. Especially since the city let the Raiders and A’s go and it was their only hope for revitalizing that part of the city.
North Oakland Children’s Hospital Market appears to have vanished from any sort of timetable. This one may have been put on by Phat Beets. They have disappeared all together.
Kaiser Hospital Farmers Market
Gone with the wind. It was never good enough to survive but it was a nice place to buy flowers on your way in to the hospital.
Uptown Ordway Farmer Market
It was the only Wednesday market but it was hardly a market and it did not last. How did they even call The Ordway Uptown?
Positive Oakland Food Movements
While we openly trash the blacks-only racist market, we also openly promote positive movements such as City Slicker Farms. Not an actual market, not selling produce, not on the profit division train, but a community garden actually there to help the locals of West Oakland. Or Mandela Grocery Co-Op who matches SNAP EBT funds for healthy food.
City Slicker Farms Stand
Mandela Grocery Cooperative
Planting Justice
Pollinate Oakland
Companies that have vanished.
Phat Beets
Dover Street Edible Park
Because individual Farmer Markets may change their hours at any time it is advised you check with them before planning around it.
List of Oakland Flea Markets.
Dee Dee says
THANKS FOR CREATING THIS INFO PAGE.
WHERE CAN I FIND THE PHONE NUMBERS TO EACH MARKET?
I AM INTEREST IN RENTING A SPACE.
Sandy says
Just moved to Oakland from Santa Cruz and was looking for the farmers market here. Thanks for a great website! Looks like Montclair might be closest to us since we are in south Oakland, above the zoo.