Farmers Market in Los Angeles celebrates 75th year
LOS ANGELES — L.A.’s famous Farmers Market at Third and Fairfax is marking its 75th year with a weeklong celebration in mid-July.
Events include a July 14 “Taste Of Farmers Market,” 5 p.m.-9 p.m. (tickets are $20 or with drinks, $25); a karaoke contest July 15 on the West Patio stage; and a “Big Birthday Bash” party for the public July 16 beginning at 8 a.m., including free cupcakes and a huge cake shaped like the market’s clock tower. Live music will be offered July 16-19 and programs for kids will be available July 18-19. Details at www.farmersmarketla.com.
The Farmers Market was founded during the Great Depression when a couple of entrepreneurs came up with the idea of a European-style village square where artisans could sell handmade goods and local farmers would sell produce. The market opened on July 14, 1934, with a dozen farmers and a few other vendors parking trucks on what had been a dairy farm and an oil field.
Not long after, Blanche Magee started selling sandwiches at the site, a business her family continues to this day. Other longtime tenants include Ultimate Nut & Candy Company, Bob’s Doughnuts, Kip’s Toyland and Du-Par’s, known for its pot pies.
Today the market’s eateries offer 16 types of cuisine, from pizza and deli food to Singaporean and Brazilian restaurants. You can also see ice cream being made at Bennett’s and candy being made at Littlejohn’s House of English Toffee.
Some 3 million people a year visit the market, with as many as 85 coach buses in a single day during the Rose Bowl. Other attractions in the area include The Grove shopping district next door and the nearby La Brea Tar Pits, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and Petersen Auto Museum.
Walking tours of the Farmers Market are offered by Melting Pot Tours at www.meltingpottours.com. The market’s Summer Music Series offers jazz on Thursdays and other genres on Fridays, 7 p.m.-9 p.m., through Sept. 11. And if you miss the July birthday bash, the market’s 75th annual fall festival takes place Oct. 16-18 with music, petting zoo, and arts and crafts. Guests are encouraged to wear their best 1930s outfit or farmers costume as part of the fun.
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