{"id":950446,"date":"2026-07-21T21:26:29","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T21:26:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/950446\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T21:26:29","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T21:26:29","slug":"south-pasadena-farmers-market-5-must-visit-summer-vendors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/950446\/","title":{"rendered":"South Pasadena Farmers Market: 5 Must-Visit Summer Vendors"},"content":{"rendered":"

If Angelenos love one thing, it\u2019s a farmers market. The Santa Monica Farmers Market and the Original Farmers Market near The Grove are particularly notorious for gathering swarms of weekly regulars and eager tourists alike. But in the heart of South Pasadena, the streets of this artsy, eclectic city are alive and well with a farmers market of their own.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Established in 1999, the South Pasadena Farmers Market energizes the streets as passionate bakers, farmers, artists and business owners deliver their tried-and-true recipes, live music and an unmistakable air of friendliness every Thursday afternoon.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After speaking to five vendors and asking\u00a0them what sets the South Pasadena Farmers Market apart from other markets, the answer was resoundingly consistent: the people. A place where kids run freely with popsicles dripping down their hands, friends gather over their plates on the lush patches of grass and young couples share a bag of kettle corn as they meander through the stands, this market reminds the community of what makes South Pasadena so uniquely special.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A tradition rooted in food, family and community, this L.A. County cornerstone is an unbeatable addition to your weekly summer rotation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As the days in the summer months get longer, so do the markets\u2019 hours, which operate from 4 p.m. through 8 p.m. in the spring through early fall. As the days begin to wane with winter, the hours are cut back to reflect the seasonal changes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As we break into some of the warmest weeks of the summer, the market is as vibrant as ever. A stroll through showcases anything from vegan pies and carefully curated floral bouquets to fresh-squeezed juices and homemade hummus. The bountiful variety is a direct reflection of the diversity of this tight-knit community.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Next time you visit, consider stopping at these five stands.<\/p>\n

Scroll to continue reading<\/p>\n

\"\"Credit: Photographed by Elizabeth Bercaw<\/p>\n

You can\u2019t talk about the South Pasadena Farmers Market without mentioning this produce stand.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Massive lemons, sweet, juicy peaches, plums and nectarines, and buckets of grapes of all colors, McFarlin Mindy Farms sits at the center of this market and is never not busy. A family business for over 25 years, Mindy McFarlin has co-run this stand for the last 15 years. The company was originally started by her brother-in-law and father-in-law, both named Cliff McFarlin, in the early 2000s.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re crazy farmers who harvest all year,\u201d Mindy said. \u201cIt\u2019s whatever\u2019s in season near Fresno. Mother Nature\u2019s our boss.\u201d In true farmer fashion, this family delivers each season\u2019s freshest selection of fruits, always bringing in a bountiful range of produce, and keeping customers curious for what each week\u2019s spread will include.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Credit: Photographed by Elizabeth Bercaw<\/p>\n

Allen Herndon, a vegan farmer trailblazer in Southern California,<\/a> runs Star Sky Granola alongside his wife, Heather. The couple\u2019s deep passion for quality ingredients, sustainability and exceptional taste has taken them from commercial kitchens, grocery stores and farmers markets across California, and they have been familiar faces at the South Pasadena Farmers Market for the past five years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The team specializes in granola and shortbread cookies, all of which are vegan, organic and gluten-free. Their most popular flavors of granola include their double chocolate and very berry delight, and their cappuccino and strawberry shortcake cookies also tend to fly off the stands on Thursdays. \u201cWe aim to do more than just sell food; we want to encourage a way of living that looks after both our health and the earth\u2019s health,\u201d the duo professes on their website.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Credit: Photographed by Elizabeth Bercaw<\/p>\n

Another family-owned business, Tamale Treats & More has been serving the South Pasadena community since the market\u2019s earliest days in the early 2000s. The current owner, Alexander Castillo, stays grounded in his role through his undying love of serving others, especially through sharing traditional Mexican dishes with various communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been here for so long, so I\u2019m assuming everybody likes tamales,\u201d Castillo joked. The grilled chicken and grilled pork tamales are among the most popular picks for meat lovers, but the vegetarian options also hold their own at this stand.<\/p>\n

Bringing 15 unique variations of a classic tamale, Castillo and his team operate out of five farmers market locations, but the unshakable charm of those Thursday evenings in South Pasadena holds a special place in his heart.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Credit: Photographed by Elizabeth Bercaw<\/p>\n

Five years ago, Lisa Liu brought her newly launched business to the South Pasadena Farmers Market. Cairn Cookies was inspired by the definition of the word \u201ccairn,\u201d which is a small pile of stones to mark one\u2019s way back home. \u201cOur cookies are made to do the same,\u201d Liu notes on her website.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Everything is homemade, primarily by Liu and with the occasional help from her friends. When asked if she had a background in baking, Liu swiftly responded: \u201cI have a passion for baking.\u201d Liu has always had a love for desserts and credits a childhood memory of enjoying her favorite cookies at a bakery that she passed by on her way home from school each day.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The generosity of free samples always guarantees a hefty crowd around this stand, as young kids beg their parents for a sweet after-school snack or parents try the delicacies for themselves. With flavors such as honeycomb toffee brownie, peanut butter pretzel and Christmas cookie, Liu is known for the dichotomy of bringing simplicity to such an outside-the-box menu. After a plate of chicken tikka masala or a savory crepe from other vendors, a cookie from Liu\u2019s stand always hits the spot.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Credit: Photographed by Elizabeth Bercaw<\/p>\n

For the past 11 years, Fresco Pasta has operated like an Italian market on wheels, selling delicacies ranging from aged cheese, fresh pasta, cured meats, sauces and prepared pizzas.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The dedicated team brings flavors of Italy all around Southern California seven days a week, as they tackle numerous farmers\u2019 markets a day, typically selling at over 30 locations in any given week. Its burrata ranks highly among the most popular items, as well as the handmade fresh daily\u00a0egg pappardelle and egg fettuccine.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re almost all Italians,\u201d said salesman Matteo Girlando about the team of vendors, chefs and drivers that make up the business. \u201cI actually was born there and lived there for 24 years and moved here nine years ago.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

After being in the States for roughly a decade, no trace of their Italian roots has been lost, as their fresh, homemade dishes continue to draw crowds looking for a slice of a European vacation without having to leave Los Angeles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Find the full list of SP Farmers Market vendors on its website<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If Angelenos love one thing, it\u2019s a farmers market. The Santa Monica Farmers Market and the Original Farmers…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":950447,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5123],"tags":[1582,276,51157,774,2301,2961,224,5337,71382,179587,78635],"class_list":["post-950446","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-los-angeles","tag-ca","tag-california","tag-cookies","tag-farmers-market","tag-granola","tag-la","tag-los-angeles","tag-losangeles","tag-pasta","tag-south-pasadena","tag-tamale"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116960088311174885","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/950446","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=950446"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/950446\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/950447"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=950446"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=950446"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=950446"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}