Ferry Plaza Farmers Market ( Artisanal food, fresh regional produce, specialty dishes to try)
The Ferry Plaza Farmers market at the San Francisco Embarcadero is the most popular and busy outdoor and indoor market to visit in San Francisco. On market days, you’ll find vendors from all around the state converge around the plaza, sides and back are of the Ferry Plaza and set up to sell delicious fresh produce, finished artisanal products and oh so good foods to go from the various booths around the marketplace.
This guide shares some of the highlights to visiting the marketplace from the outdoor venues to indoor booths, stores and restaurants that you can see and experience on a food tour here.
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Outdoors at the Ferry Plaza, food vendors selling fresh certified produce
It’s Fun to shop at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market
The Ferry Plaza farmers market is widely acclaimed for providing the freshest and largest variety of produce straight from the farms, artisanal products and finished brands along with other certified organic products. As a certified California farmers market, the Ferry Plaza farmers market upholds a high standard while promoting sustainable, local production and distribution of these raw and finished products. It’s definitely a foodie hangout and attracts top local chefs and fussy buyers to support well-known artisanal and farm products grown or made locally.
Ferry Plaza FAQ
Where is the Ferry Plaza?
The mecca of farmers markets in San Francisco is held outside in front of the Embarcadero ferry terminal three times weekly, with the largest market taking place on Saturdays. Located at the Embarcadero Center at the Ferry Plaza terminal, the historic ferry gateway to the city, the market sprawls around the front, side and back areas of the outdoor areas. The indoor galleries are also food focused with restaurants, kitchen shops and specialty foods sold in the area along with other specialized artisanal producers from the area.
Why visit the Ferry Plaza Farmers market?
Probably the biggest farmers market happening weekly in San Francisco, the Ferry Plaza market is very popular and huge, spilling out the sides, back and front of the Ferry Plaza building and celebrates all things fresh, produce, specialty finish goods and delicious take out foods to enjoy with artisanal vendors from the region. It really is fun to see what foods are in season and to try some of the local and really cool bites you’ll want to try here while visiting around the market and then the interior halls of the Ferry Plaza.
Are dogs allowed at the farmers market?
Since this is a certified organic market, they sponsors ask that you do not bring any pets outside of service dogs which are allowed to come with owners to help them navigate the market.
What are the hours for the farmers market?
A Delicious artisanal market
Not only is there amazing produce for sale, but there are also popular artisanal products available here including jams, cheese and cured meats, baked breads and pastries. Also, there is also a wide array of artisanal street food available outdoors with vendors selling grilled meats, wood fired pizza, and a variety of other ethnic specialties. It’s almost mandatory to try out some of the delicious offerings from the food vendors after a busy morning visiting and shopping at your favorite produce and artisanal vendors.
Here’s a fun tour of the Ferry Plaza Farmers market below
Portuguese malasadas (donuts) are filled with exotic fillings like mango, passion creme and guava
Check out the Ferry Plaza Farmers market video
Specialty food focused
It is a cornucopia of different raw, artisanal product and street food available all in one place. Along with the weekly farmers market, the Ferry Plaza Embarcadero houses some of the most original and well-known food brands, restaurants and purveyors from Northern California all under one large complex. You’ll definitely be in foodie heaven when you visit this mecca of food and food lifestyle in San Francisco. You can easily spend an entire day at the farmers market and then shop at the Ferry Plaza, then capping it all with a delicious meal with the outdoor street vendors or any of the fabulous restaurants inside the Ferry Plaza Embarcadero.
Focus on education, supporting local and artisanal creations
The organizers of the market offer fantastic and free cooking classes, demonstrations, tours and other fun public events during market days and is a great way to promote healthy and good eating in the city. While visiting the market, check out the information booths for free talks and events that may be happening that day for you to participate in.
Here are a few more favorites on display during the Saturday market
A medley of salad greens and edible flowers
Wondering what to eat inside the Ferry Plaza market inside the galleries and outside at the farmers market.
An assortment of colorful peppers from mild to extremely hot.
The dahlia lady, makes preps up her display for some fast selling dahlias and sunflowers.
Aren’t these gorgeous looking beets?
Visiting the specialty galleries at the Ferry Plaza
Details to visiting the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market
Take public transportation to the Embarcadero, it’s easy, no parking hassles and cheap
There are free talks, cooking shows and events that happen at the market, so check with the info booths for a schedule
Sample all those delicious and in season produce but also try some of the amazing specialty foods available at the market
The interior halls of the Ferry Plaza have more fine dining options and fun shopping for kitchen, home and garden.
The public wharf walkway is closeby and fun to walk through and enjoy those water views of the city and bay.
Make sure you bring your own recycled bags to carry away your goodies home.
Restaurants to visit inside the Ferry Plaza
Not only are there food venues to explore outside but inside the Ferry Plaza are amazing foodie focused venues and restaurants that you can enjoy even if the market is not in session on the days that you visit here.
Check out some of the fun places to explore inside the Ferry Plaza building and indulge in a delicious tour below
Here’s a discovery tour of the shops and other eateries to check out inside
Don’t forget to check out the gorgeous bay views from the Ferry Plaza piers
Looking for more fun things to do in the area?
Visit the Cool Stairs of San Francisco
San Francisco has so many amazing stairs to explore in very unique and colorful neighborhoods. Many have beautiful gardens with art and sculpture and even gorgeously decorated with mosaic tile. Check out our post on the cool stairs of San Francisco here for more inspiration and images to visiting these fun places in the city.
If you love checking out fun viewpoints from above then you’ll want to visit all of the fantastic viewpoints. We’ve picked the most scenic vista points around the city with this post on the best views above San Francisco here for you to get inspired with this wonderful views and capture your own photos and selfies here.
Unusual and quirky San Francisco
San Francisco has so many fun and unusual places, neighborhoods and unique attractions that are above the typical in the city to visit. Many of these are only in San Francisco type places that you definitely should visit if you have free time from visiting the normal tourist attractions.
Check out our post on these 20 quirky and fun places to explore in San Francisco, you’ll love visiting all of them when you visit the city.
Check out these other posts to visiting San Francisco
Best San Francisco views from above
Best places to eat in San Francisco
The cool stairs of San Francisco
Cool graffiti at Clarion Alley
Conclusion to the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market
Not only is the Ferry Plaza farmers market a foodie magnet, it is also a great place to photograph the Embarcadero plaza, the market and of course some beautiful images of food. The Embarcadero ferry builing and interior is also worth visiting and taking some more pictures. Just outside the terminal are seating areas and walkways with scenic vistas of the bay front, and the Bay Bridge in the background. If you would like to see some more images of the Embarcadero and the farmers market, please visit my Flickr page and enjoy the images.
Have you been to some amazing farmers markets like the Ferry Plaza market? Please share your favorite markets with us in the comments below.
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