The Studio City Farmers' Market is likely the most family-friendly market in the city.
Since most children probably don't enjoy shopping for organic produce, the market has found a clever way of keeping the kids occupied. They have pony rides, a giant inflatable bouncy castle and a petting zoo filled with ducks, chickens, bunnies, and pigs.
In a city where 8-year-olds have cell phones, it's comforting to know that kids still can still get excitement from something as simple as petting a billy goat.
During my visit I saw okra, tiny little baby eggplants, and raspberries as well as Chinese mustard greens, leeks and fennel. Lots of potatoes right now - red, purple, fingerling and baby yukon.
There are stands selling cookies, fresh juice blends, jams and honey, flavored oils and vinegars. One stand specializes in fresh fish (never frozen). When I was there he had wild Dungeness crab, shrimp, red snapper, swordfish and ahi tuna. Ed Begley Jr. was even there selling his own brand of eco-friendly cleaning supplies, Begley's Best.
The market is held on Ventura Place between Laurel Canyon and Ventura Blvd, every Sunday between 8am and 1pm.
My local market!
Don't forget while you're there you can generally get free movie screening passes and you can go right across the street to the Artisan Cheese Gallery just recently mentioned
This is my regular market, too. I'm close enough to walk and do nearly all of my produce shopping here. It's great for celebrity sitings, not to mention Ed Begley, Jr. I bought some of his spot remover, and it actually got grape juice out of my white table cloth with no effort. Wild. The Studio City market is small, but it gets the job done. My favorite stall is Givens Farm. Everything is top-notch, and they still have killer tomatoes. In December! I love California. Merry and Happy to all.