California Avenue Farmers Market, Palo Alto: Vendor Guide
Listing compiled by Darrin DeTorres, Booth Season · Last updated from the organizer's published information
The California Avenue Farmers Market runs every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on California Avenue at El Camino Real in Palo Alto, year-round, rain or shine. The next market is Sunday, November 8, 2026.
Last updated from the organizer's website: November 8, 2026.
| Market day and hours | Sundays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
|---|---|
| Location | California Avenue at El Camino Real, Palo Alto |
| Season | Year-round, rain or shine. UVFM's weekend markets stay open on the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's weekends. |
| Organizer | Urban Village Farmers' Market Association (UVFM), which runs 10 Bay Area markets. UVFM writes this one as "California Ave Farmers Market". |
| Stall fee | A flat fee per 10x10 stall per market day, collected weekly: $35 to $80 by category, plus $75 a year in UVFM membership once approved. No percentage of sales is published. |
| Application deadline | Not published by the organizer. Applications are taken online. |
| Categories accepted | Farm or ranch, prepared (pre-packaged) food, restaurant (on-site cooking), arts and craft, musicians |
| Certified producer rule | Farmers must hold a California Certified Producer Certificate, and everything they sell must be grown in California and listed on it |
| Application link | uvfm.org/joinus (New Vendors page, with one application per category) |
How do vendors apply to the California Avenue Farmers Market in Palo Alto?
Vendors apply to the California Avenue Farmers Market in Palo Alto through its operator, the Urban Village Farmers' Market Association (UVFM), not through Booth Season. UVFM takes online applications by category: farm or ranch, prepared food, restaurant, arts and craft, and musician. Stalls are 10 by 10 feet and cost $35 to $80 per market day.
- Read the New Vendors page and FAQ first. UVFM asks every applicant to read both on uvfm.org/joinus before applying. For-profit businesses and services aren't allowed to table or solicit at UVFM markets.
- Pick the application for your category at the bottom of that page: Agriculture (farm, nursery, beekeeper, fishery or ranch in California), Prepared Food, Restaurant, Arts & Craft, or Musician. Applying is free.
- Submit the online form. UVFM emails you, and a confirmation shows on the page.
- Wait for acceptance. UVFM weighs how unusual your product is next to what its markets already have, quality, how local you are, space at each market, and the balance of farmers to other vendors. It doesn't publish how long a decision takes.
- After approval, send your paperwork. Farmers need the annual membership fee, a current Certified Producer Certificate, a banner with the farm name and location saying you grow what you sell, $1 million in general liability insurance naming Urban Village Farmers' Market Association as additional insured, and proof of auto insurance. Food vendors need a county health permit.
- Show up every week. Farmers are expected to sell every week, rain or shine, with four absences a year allowed for illness and emergencies.
UVFM doesn't publish an email address or phone number. Use the contact form on uvfm.org/contact; office visits are by appointment only.
What does a booth at the California Avenue market cost?
UVFM charges a flat daily fee per 10x10 stall, collected weekly. These are the rates published on uvfm.org/joinus as of November 8, 2026:
| Vendor category | Per market day |
|---|---|
| Agricultural producer | $55 |
| Second agricultural certificate | $35 |
| Mini ag producer (very local small farm run as a nonprofit) | $35 |
| Prepared food producer (pre-packaged) | $65 |
| Hot food or restaurant (cooked on site) | $80 |
| Artist (non-food) | $60 |
- Membership: $75 a year once you're approved.
- Rainy-day rates: December through March, managers may knock $5 to $15 off a stall.
- County health permit (food booths): UVFM estimates $375 to $1,100 a year.
- Liability insurance: UVFM estimates $500 to $1,000 a year.
- What you bring: a fire-rated 8x8 or 10x10 tent, ideally vented at the top, with weights; your own tables, signs, price labels and equipment; a scale with a current State Seal if you sell by weight. No Styrofoam.
What sells at the California Avenue Farmers Market?
UVFM says it admits "unique or unusual products" that add variety without creating too much supply of what its markets already carry. It gives preference to food and goods grown or made near the market, to certified farmers who sell value-added products over food makers selling similar ones, and to small and mid-size family businesses over large companies. It doesn't publish which categories are full at California Avenue, so ask through the contact form before you apply. EBT and WIC are accepted here, and EBT shoppers get up to $15 matched for fruits and vegetables.
Is the California Avenue market the same as the downtown Palo Alto Farmers Market?
No. They're two separate markets with different operators, days and locations, and each takes its own vendor applications.
| Market | Day | Hours | Where | Run by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Avenue Farmers Market | Sunday | 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. | California Avenue at El Camino Real | Urban Village Farmers' Market Association |
| Downtown Palo Alto Farmers' Market | Saturday | 8 a.m. – noon | City parking lots on Gilman Street, between Forest and Hamilton avenues | An all-volunteer nonprofit board, running since 1981 |
Downtown market details from pafarmersmarket.org. Booth Season doesn't list the downtown market yet.
Nearby markets accepting vendors
Booth Season doesn't list other Bay Area markets yet. UVFM also runs markets in Santa Clara, Sunnyvale and Willow Glen on Saturdays and in Campbell and San Carlos on Sundays, plus four in Oakland and Castro Valley.
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How this page was made: this page was dynamically generated from the organizer's own website and documents, linked on this page, as of November 8, 2026. Details can change, so confirm the fee, deadline and rules with the organizer before you apply or pay. Run this event? Claim this listing to correct it.