San Mateo

Saturday, 9AM - 1PM

Location & Hours

College of San Mateo
Upper Parking Lot
Saturdays
9AM - 1PM
Year-round market

Directions to this market

Market Description

Though it's unlikely that a Lonely Planet guidebook will ever highlight this market, what you will find is one of the most comprehensive farmers' market shopping experiences on the Peninsula. Lacking parking hassles and pretension, this Saturday market is geared towards the keen shopper looking for a thorough selection of vendors and an easy to navigate shopping site. Open from 9am-1pm, it is a two-row marketplace with nice wide aisles near a shady parking lot, so shoppers won't mind multiple trips to the car while juggling full flats of tomatoes and precious berries.

Packed full of tempting treats from kettle corn to jams and chocolates, this site hosts over 80 vendors, many of which we frequent during our leisurely 5-minute lunch breaks. Many farms attend year round, rain or shine, making this an excellent winter market. While California certified farmers make up the majority of the stalls, you'll probably also find yourself lining up - alongside some of us hungry Happy Boys - for Bread and Brioche French Bakery's habit-forming baked goods. The owner of Happy Boy Farms has an especially weak spot for their exceptional chocolate chip cookies. Other must-stop vendors on our lists are Lone Oak, for their top quality organic stone fruit, citrus and grapes, and G-bar-G Organic Apples - be sure to ask Gil about his favorite sandwich. For the foraging fans at this market, Far West Fungi, based in Moss Landing, offers an excellent assortment of farmed mushrooms as well as seasonal wild-crafted mushrooms like morels and chanterelles. In the springtime, organic garden starts are brought in by Green Planet Organics and it's a real trial to leave market without a beautiful arrangement of cut flowers or potted succulents.

No matter what your tastes, there is a bit of everything at this market including cheese vendors, delicious prepared foods like empanadas and rotisserie chicken, and crocks full of mouthwatering handmade kraut by Farmhouse Culture. The Happy Boy stand, located at the end of the row closest to the campus buildings, is spacious, with plenty of room for customers to shop comfortably. As one of our top performing markets over the past ten years, we are indebted to the dedication and commitment of the San Mateo market customers and often prioritize this market to be sure that they are getting the best of our harvest.