Every Thursday night (except in the case of inclement
weather) the main street, Higuera, is closed to all vehicles and barbecues, produce
vendors, and entertainment fill the streets. (6pm to 9pm) The tradition of the Thursday
night market started in the 1800's when instead of barbecues the locals would gather
around a large pit in the ground on Higuera street. Wild bears from the county and bulls
were put into the pit and left to fight. After all was said and done the dead animals
would be cleaned and cooked.
About 2 blocks of Higuera street are dedicated to vendors selling fresh
fruits and vegetables (and yes most of the produce here is fresh!) and 2 blocks
are dedicated to local vendors and
barbecues. Be sure to sample some of the excellent food here. Moe's and SLO
Brew are two of my favorite barbecues. Depending on the season you can
find many varieties of fresh fruit, strawberries are usually available
most of the year, and fresh vegetables are available year round.
Often a side street or two will be closed for special exhibits such as for
displaying city fire, medical or police equipment, or for clubs at Cal
Poly. There is always entertainment of some kind - from a puppeteer for
the kids, to live music to jugglers.
"Farmers" as its affectionately called by locals is well
attended. Often up to 15,000 people attend this in the summer time with
numbers dipping to around 10,000 during the spring and fall. The San Luis
downtown area is not large and there is not a lot of parking. During
"Farmer's" parking spaces are in high demand. The 'safest' bet
for parking is in one of the parking garages - either the Palm Street
Garages or the garage off of Marsh street. Parking is also available for
FREE on side streets and in the parking lot between Monterey and Higuera
streets - just south of the Fremont Theatre but this lot and the side
streets usually fill up before the market even starts.
Food starts selling at 6pm and the produce section opens at 6:30 - always
with the ringing of a bell by a certain Cal Poly Biology professor. Often
if you come to "Farmers" near the end of the evening (around
8:30-9pm) you can bargain with the barbeque vendors and often buy the food
for cheaper than what it was originally selling for earlier in the
evening.
See if you can spot the gentleman who walks up and down the street
carrying a religious sign. He attends every "Farmers" without
exception. This gentleman is getting up in years and you may now find him
sitting on local benches with his sign instead of walking up and down
the street.
For additional information please visit
www.downtownslo.com
or call 805.541.0286
Watch a video about Farmer's Market and San Luis Obispo in general:
