Dana Point Farmers Market

This is my favorite Farmer’s Market. It has everything! Sunnycal Farms has literally the BEST fruit you will ever try… and you CAN definitely try it as they spend hours cutting up fresh samples for everyone. The fruit is tree ripened and handpicked unlike much of the crap they peddle at the grocery store. This allows SunnyCal to bring you fruit at the peak of ripeness and nutrition versus supermarket fruit that has been picked way too early, gassed to induce the illusion of ripeness, and waxed. I don’t need to eat wax, thanks. They have a ton of pluots (plum+apricot) which are great for people avoiding the acidity of plums. Their fruit is spray, wax, wash, enamel free. You can go on their instagram and see pictures of how they protect their trees from bugs with expensive nettings and pheromone traps. These kind of practices show me that their ARE indeed people out there who still care more about helping/​healing people more than making a quick buck with their GMO, chemical-​laden Frankenstein fruit. Although SunnyCal specializes in every pluot known to mankind-​I recommend their apples cooked in a tart or with almond butter from Hopkins Agriculture who also occupies a booth there. Their Oro blancos are amazing right now and really easy to remove from the casing and pith (white stuff in peel). I take the segments and serve with seared Ahi and watercress.
Kevin and Kim are across the way and sell amazing vegetables. Their tomatoes and carrots are full of flavor and are super healing in soup. I recommend getting the cauliflower, pulsing in a food processor and sautéing with onion and sea salt.
The naan guy, Mark sells the craziest dips you will ever taste in your life. Trust.
Lastly, there is a new vendor who juices. it’s LEGIT… not like the expensive cucumber watery juice from whole foods lol. I recommend grabbing an apple from Sunnycal farms and bringing it to the juice man to add a little sweetness.

Haven’t been to a farmers market as good as this one since I lived in Vermont. Not a ton of vendors but every one had something interesting. Parking didn’t seem too bad although we walked to the market.
Nearly all the food vendors has a «try before you buy» policy so no surprises. Pet friendly and people friendly. If the fair is in town or if you just want something more manageable than the flea markets at the fairgrounds this is a solid alternative.

Great selection of produce. Perfect size to get in an out on a Saturday Morning. The vegetarian tamales are insane!

Nice market, dog friendly (unusual in O.C.) and full of all the stuff you need in produce. Some funky clothing and jewelry sellers along with people offering their artisan foods, tamales, bloody mary mix etc. Parking is an issue. We see a lot of locals but not many out of towners.

Tiny and very expensive. Also, much of the produce is NOT Local. I dont consider produce from Bakersfield Local!

My favorite thing to do on Saturday. Please check out the Naan bread while it is still warm… I don’t even like Indian food and it is AMAZING!

I love coming here on Saturday mornings. It’s a bit of a ritual at my house, the weekly walk to the market. The produce is good, although I usually get the bulk of my stuff elsewhere & supplement with what looks great here. It’s hit or miss because naturally they just have what is in season. Not a bad way to eat & perhaps I’ll evolve to that. They have some great prepared foods if you’re looking at a busy week ahead but still want quality prepared food. Such as amazing vegan & vegetarian tamales that can be frozen. Hummus to die for. The coffee is great & $ 1 for a small cup. The crafters are fun & we have bought a few things from them!

Dana Point Farmers Market is a real cool spot. Not as hipster or high brow as I thought it might be… really down to earth folks selling cool products. I brought $ 40 and quickly ran out of cash. My load included some vegan parm cheeze, a bleu cheese ball, a seafood ball, some choc mousse, and some oil and vinegar. I could have bought more!

Expensive but all organic choices. They have some unique sauce companies. Great stand with plenty of fruit options. Some tasty looking baked goods and a gourmet coffee roaster. Plus many others. Every weekend morning till about 3pm

This is a great, small farmers market. They have a decent amount of booths with a wide selection of items. Produce, honey, nuts, and more! Usually there is at least one vendor that you can order food at to eat right then and there.
It is right off of PCH and can be hard to miss because it is kind of small. There isn’t a designated parking, but there is street parking. The street parking is on the side streets off of PCH.
The only reason I did not give this farmers market 5 stars is because I don’t feel like that have much of an organic selection.

Dana Point Farmers and merchant market is one of the most homey and cozy markets around. The vendors remember you each time you come and they actually come out and talk to you (of course it helps to have a cute baby like I do:))
But Rufus from NV-​you can stay in NV if you like, we are all very happy with our little market and we LOVE the vendors even the ones that remind us of our loved ones… ie the lotion lady-​who by the way is a beautiful lady helpful and caring personality who does not deserve your disrespect.
Come on down and enjoy a friendly shopping and outdoor experience

Fruits and veggies, local fish, chicken, eggs, and honey — this little farmers market is a great stop for our Saturday morning. We plan to go again and again.

I was impressed with this little farmers market the first time I went, and I have returned several times. Located in the heart of Dana Point, this quaint, once-​a-​week market has everything you would expect from a farmers market and some: local artists, restaurants, farmers selling fruit and veggies in both normal and exotic varieties, and even a small gelato stand — this gentleman will talk your ear off but he’s as friendly as they come.
Organic produce is in short supply usually but there is plenty of non-​organic agriculture present. Never-​the-​less, the fruits and veggies for sale are always fresh and delicious, and there’s plenty of free sampling. If you make your way around the large circle of tents on the small plot which they stand you may find the following… Fresh strawberries and citrus, asst. veggies, mushrooms of every delicious variety, fresh fish (and shark!) — both local and otherwise, Indian food — the best naan I’ve ever eaten, and my fav: the tamales! The tamale lady has beef, pork, chicken, vegetarian, and vegan tamales for sale (and fresh salsa to boot)! Of the the three that I’ve tried my favorite is definitely feta and spinach. Personally I go for the food but often find myself perusing the art booths as I chow down. You’ll see photographers, painters, wood-​work, misc. art of all kinds, goat soaps, and other randoms.
Go hungry and bring cash! This market is just as much a feast for one’s eyes as it is one’s taste buds.

There’s a guy here selling his neighbor’s eggs. The man growing the eggs is 80 year old grandpa. He calls the hen his ‘girls’ and treats them really well. He feeds them kelp etc. If you know anything about the chicken industry, even for organic eggs the chickens are woefully mistreated! I feel better buying here and the eggs are delicious! Its every saturday morning. so stop buying store eggs and come support your local farmers and contribute to a better tomorrow! Good deed plus Good Egg equals SCORE! *bring cash *decent price cheaper then stores organic eggs too

This is probably my favorite local farmer’s market because it’s small but has a lot of funk in its trunk. I honestly don’t go there for the fruits and veggies, I go there for whatever else is there.
Last week I bought a beaded bracelet, a mosaic of dinner plates in the shape of a quail, goats milk soap and salsa.
What sets my heart a-​flutter is that these are of hobbyist entrepreneurs. They’re passionate about what they’re doing and are interesting to talk with. It’s the locavore spirit in me that wants to support these folks in pursuing their dreams.
Even though it’s on a small slice of lawn, it’s an awesome location because – hey – it’s Dana Point. You can grab a tasty breakfast or cup of coffee, have a stroll on the beach and then grab some fruit, veggies, or random craft item.
It’s not worth a crazy drive, but I make a 15 mile drive to shop there once or twice a month.
RECOMMEND

Yes it’s small, but how many different vendors would you need to provide every veggie available and some really nice homemade foods.
Awesome place to grab some roses (mine lasted 2 weeks) and the homemade garlic pita chips are the real deal and remind me of home back east. Prices are great for veggies and foods but the other stuff is a lil high for a market. BUT with that said if I was going to vend in Dana Point I would charge more also bc it’s an area that can afford it and the products are well worth the money. Looks like most of them are homemade or organic and quality is high.

Pretty small farmers market located on this random strip of lawn in between these restaurants and other stores. But I was pleasantly surprised at how many hidden gems there are here! We sampled a lot of really good food — cakes, dips, popcorn. And they also have a good selection of fresh produce (and really cheap too!)
If I lived here, I would probably be a frequent visitor.

Adorable farmers market! We came here on Saturday for something fun to do locally and were so pleased with the selection. The strawberries and veggies were really delish! We also got a loaf of bread with whole garlic cloves baked in… oh my! And… we bought some mini bundt cakes from an Italian Bakeshop that is located in Santa Ana: Dolce Monachelli’s. All in all definitely sold on this market. mmm…

The second Saturday of every month, this farmer’s market combines with a crafts fair. The hours are 9 – 3 on craft fair days. Those hoping for a major production will be disappointed. It’s just a small, cozy collection of vendors.
Some of the vendors are really desperate. The lotion lady, for example. She pretty near lassoed me. She rubbed smelly aloe vera lotion on my right arm, calling my attention to the dramatic difference between my oiled arm and the plain one. I couldn’t see any difference. She had me by the arm, so it was kind of hard to make a clean getaway.
She held out a scrawny, oiled arm and proclaimed she was 74 years old. OK, she’s a well-​preserved old gal and she owes it all to aloe vera lotion that she sells for $ 20 a dab. When I hit 74, I hope I look as good. Still, the sales pitch was lost on me. The stink of that lotion was practically unbearable. As soon as I could I tried to wash it off. The smell lingered for a day. I got a free arm massage, so it wasn’t all bad.
Here’s what I don’t get. The market is located on a small patch of green right next to Hennessey’s (dreadful place, incidentally). Parking is tight as it is. Yet, the vendor tents are placed on the pavement, tying up dozens of parking spaces. I don’t envy the vendors having to walk around in the greasy automotive drippings.
Another vendor had a large banner: OLIVES. Yet, no olives were for sale, only olive oil and olive dip. Maybe the business plan calls for actually selling olives someday. That’s American enterprise for you.
Farmer’s Markets are the only thing standing between us and the corporate takeover of our food supply. It’s fun to browse one of these affairs even if you don’t need to stock up on fruits & veggies. Piles of beautiful produce. Clever craft items. Just watch out for the lotion lady.

I love this farmers market! I’ve been going here for years and its just wonderful. Support your local farmers!
They have a great selection of organic, in-​season fruits and veggies. You must check out the hummus guy and the tamale lady and the bakery people!
Its just the best.