Making Time for the Farmers Market (Finally)

Most days, I drive past a farmers market more often than I get to walk through one.

I’m usually on my way to the office in Carmel when the streets are bustling, or heading home on a Tuesday night too tired to circle the block looking for a parking spot near Alvarado. And every time, I catch myself glancing out the window, quietly jealous of the people strolling with fresh flowers and canvas totes, picking up produce and chatting with vendors.

I always thought, “One day, when life slows down…”

But life hasn’t exactly slowed — and I’ve realized it probably won’t. So I did a little digging and found out something that surprised me: there’s a farmers market happening every single day of the week somewhere on the Peninsula.

That means finding time might not be as hard as I thought — it’s just about shifting the mindset, carving out 30 minutes here or there, and maybe even making it part of the weekly routine.

If you’ve ever found yourself in the same boat — or same car — wondering how others make it work, I wanted to share the local farmers market schedule with you. Maybe we’ll both start making time to stop, browse, and support our local growers and makers.

Weekly Farmers Market Schedule:

• Monday: Pacific Grove – 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM

• Tuesday: Downtown Monterey – 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM

• Thursday (Morning): Carmel – 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

• Thursday (Evening): Seaside – 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM

• Friday (Morning): Del Monte Shopping Center – 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM

• Friday (Afternoon): Salinas Valley Memorial – 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM

• Saturday: Oldtown Salinas – 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM

• Sunday: Carmel Valley – 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM