Santa Barbara Farmers Market

The Santa Barbara Farmers Market traces its roots to March 24, 1979, when the first market launched on the Old Santa Barbara Mission Lawn, placing it among the first 20 farmers’ markets in California. In Goleta, the market now operates at 7004 Marketplace Drive in Camino Real Marketplace, tying this stop to a longer regional network of weekly markets run by the Santa Barbara Certified Farmers’ Market Association. That history matters because the association was established in 1983 as a non-profit mutual benefit corporation created to give California farmers direct access to the local community. The result is a market with a specific regional lineage rather than a one-off pop-up.

Why it matters locally

The Santa Barbara Certified Farmer’s Market Association was established in 1983 to provide California farmers with direct access to market their products to the local community, and this Goleta market operates within that same mission. The organization’s history is also carried by original participants including Randy Wade, Tom Shepherd, and Robert “BD” Dautch, whose names remain part of the market’s story. That continuity links today’s shopping trip in Camino Real Marketplace to a regional system with six weekly markets, not just a single day’s setup. The association also works alongside partners including Veggie Rescue, The Unity Shoppe, Earthbins, and Santa Barbara County, showing that its local role extends beyond stall space alone.

Know before you go

No dogs are allowed, which is the clearest policy detail to factor in before heading to the Goleta market. This location sits at 7004 Marketplace Drive in Camino Real Marketplace, so it is useful to think of it as one stop within a broader SBCFMA circuit that also includes places like Downtown Santa Barbara, Montecito Business Sector, Downtown Carpinteria, and the Cota Street Commuter Lot. If you are not carrying cash, the information booth can swipe ATM and debit cards along with Visa, MasterCard, and American Express for market tokens. Those tokens are accepted by all Santa Barbara Certified Farmers Market vendors, valid at all six weekly markets, available in $1, $5, and $10 increments, and never expire. EBT tokens are sold at the market information booth as well.

Payments & SNAP

All markets in this association accept CalFresh EBT, WIC, FMNP, and credit cards in exchange for tokens. The market also names the CalFresh EBT Market Match Program and says free fresh fruits and veggies are available through CalFresh at all markets. Credit card shoppers can use tokens purchased at the information booth, and EBT tokens are available there too.