Del Monte Farmers Markets at Del Monte Shopping Center

Del Monte Farmers Markets at Del Monte Shopping Center pairs a seasonal Sunday market with a broader nonprofit mission: Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Markets says it donates up to three booth spaces each month to local nonprofit organizations. Set at Del Monte Shopping Center in Monterey, the market runs at 1410 Del Monte Center and gathers shoppers in the rear parking lot behind California Pizza Kitchen, just off Highway 1 and Munras Avenue. The organization behind it is also marking 50 years of Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Markets, tying this smaller seasonal stop to a longer-running regional market network.

Why it matters locally

The market’s local role starts with its nonprofit support: Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Markets donates up to three booth spaces each month to local nonprofit organizations. That gives the Del Monte market a public-facing purpose beyond weekly shopping, while still keeping the focus on farmers, vendors, and food producers working under the Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Markets banner.

This Monterey location is also part of an organization that has operated since 1976 and is now celebrating its 50th anniversary. At Del Monte Shopping Center, that longer legacy shows up in a market that is both seasonal and easy to fold into everyday errands, with free parking and direct access from Highway 1 and Munras Avenue. The market is managed by a staff led by Executive Director Catherine Barr.

What you'll find there

The vendor mix attached to Del Monte Farmers Market points to a market that reaches well beyond basic produce, with farms, nurseries, bakeries, seafood, honey, pasta, mushrooms, coffee, and prepared-food specialists all appearing in the market organization’s vendor roster. Even with a modest vendor-count claim for this location, the names associated with the market suggest a broad Sunday shopping run rather than a single-category stop.

• -Pick up produce from Big Guy Organics.
• -Browse plants from Gatanaga Nursery.
• -Shop farm goods from Minazolli Farms.
• -Find produce from Munak Ranch.
• -Add farm offerings from P & K Farm.
• -Taste honey and bee products from Amen Bee Products.
• -Bring home cut flowers from Astone’s Protea.
• -Look for prepared foods from Bay Living Culinary.
• -Choose orchids from Bay Area Orchids.
• -Grab bread and baked goods from Beckmann’s Bakery.
• -Seek out artisan pasta from Bigoli Fresh Artisan Pasta.
• -Check for fresh fish from H & H Fresh Fish Company.
• -Pour a cup from Hidden Fortress Coffee.
• -Stock up on miso from Hakouya Miso.
• -Try cultured foods from Kitchen Table Cultures.
• -Sip kombucha from Living Swell Kombucha.
• -Sample seafood from MIF Seafood.
• -Take home mushrooms from Sumano Mushrooms.
• -Finish with pastries from Quoign Pastries.
• -Add goat cheese from Rocky Oaks Goat Creamery.

The wider organization also promotes special programming, including a 50th anniversary celebration and a Kids Eat Right event with Montage Health at the Monterey Farmers Market.

Know before you go

The most useful arrival detail is the setup inside Del Monte Shopping Center: the market is in the rear parking lot behind California Pizza Kitchen, with lots of free parking and easy access. If you are driving in, the site is just off Highway 1 and Munras Avenue, which makes it straightforward to reach from other parts of Monterey.

This is a seasonal market, running from May through September on Sunday mornings. Dogs are not allowed. The market is also minutes from the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, so it fits well into a morning already centered on that part of town. For direct questions, the listed market manager is Catherine Barr.