Aptos Farmers Market at Cabrillo College

Aptos Farmers Market at Cabrillo College pairs a large Saturday market with a broader mission from Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Markets: the organization donates up to three booth spaces each month to local nonprofit groups. Set at Cabrillo College on Soquel Drive, the market runs year-round on Saturday mornings and brings together a deep vendor roster that spans farms, bakeries, seafood, flowers, nurseries, and prepared foods. With 90 vendors listed for this market, the scale stands out without losing the direct producer focus that defines a certified farmers market.

Why it matters locally

Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Markets has served Central Coast communities since 1976, and Aptos is one of the markets it operates through that long-running regional network. The organization ties the market to local civic life by donating up to three booth spaces each month to nonprofit organizations, giving community groups a place inside the weekly market rather than apart from it.

The market’s setting at Cabrillo College also roots it in a specific Aptos institution, and the vendor roster includes Cabrillo College Horticulture alongside farms and food makers from Aptos, Watsonville, Aromas, Santa Cruz, and nearby Central Coast communities. That mix keeps the market closely connected to the surrounding agricultural and food economy while remaining easy for local shoppers to reach on a regular Saturday morning.

What you'll find there

The vendor mix here is unusually broad: produce growers sit alongside nurseries, orchards, fish sellers, bakeries, coffee roasters, cultured foods makers, and college horticulture. That breadth makes the market useful for both a full grocery run and a stop for plants, pantry staples, or ready-to-eat extras.

• -Pick up honey from Amen Bee Products.
• -Find protea from Astone’s Protea.
• -Shop culinary goods from Bay Living Culinary.
• -Browse orchids from Bay Area Orchids.
• -Bring home baked goods from Beckmann’s Bakery.
• -Choose artisan pasta from Bigoli Fresh Artisan Pasta.
• -Look for organic produce from Blossom’s Farm.
• -Stock up on organic produce from Blue Heron Farms.
• -Add organic produce from Borba Family Farms.
• -Find Cabrillo College Horticulture at the market.
• -Buy eggs from Clara’s Eggs Farm.
• -Browse plants from Coastal Paradise Nursery.
• -Grab bread and pastries from Companion Bakeshop.
• -Shop fish from H & H Fresh Fish Company.
• -Pour a cup from Hidden Fortress Coffee or Fiji Wild Coffee.
• -Take home miso from Hakouya Miso.
• -Pick up roasted corn from Lily’s Roasted Corn.
• -Try kombucha from Living Swell Kombucha.
• -Buy seafood from MIF Seafood.
• -Choose fruit from Triple Delight Blueberries.
• -Take home mushrooms from Sumano Mushrooms.
• -Find goat cheese from Rocky Oaks Goat Creamery.

Professional knife and garden-tool sharpening is available year-round, adding a practical service that fits the market’s weekly routine. A free monthly e-newsletter shares market updates, seasonal highlights, and special events.

Know before you go

No dogs are allowed, so that rule may shape your Saturday plan before you head to Cabrillo College. Parking is one of the easier logistics here: the market notes lots of free parking and easy access at the site. The address is 6500 Soquel Drive at Cabrillo College, which helps if you are mapping the trip rather than searching by market name alone.

Because the market runs from 8 am to 12 pm on Saturdays year-round, it works well as a morning stop instead of an afternoon errand. The market manager listed for the organization is Catherine Barr, with assistant market managers Kay Gatanaga and June Uemura also named on the team.

Payments & SNAP

SNAP/EBT is accepted at the market, an important option for shoppers planning a produce run with benefits. The market also indicates clear payment methods and notes that EBT is processed at the Gatanaga Nursery booth and managed by Judy Nagamine at the information booth.