Little Italy Mercato

Little Italy Mercato is back on West Date Street this Saturday, October 10, and it's a good time to remind you that it's not just a one-off event. It's San Diego County's largest farmers' market, taking over several blocks of the Little Italy neighborhood and run by more than 185 farmers and vendors. The Saturday edition fills six city blocks on West Date Street, from west of Kettner Boulevard to Front Street, and it's a certified farmers market, so the produce is local.

Walking through, you'll find farm-fresh produce, pastured eggs, poultry, meat, nuts, and plants from California farmers. Alongside them are the local foodmakers bringing fish, olive oil, bread, sauces, and other staples, with local artisans and gifts at each end. The market runs under the motto Mangia Bene. Eat well. Be well.

If Saturday doesn't work for you, there's a smaller weekday version every Wednesday, which runs about three blocks from Kettner Boulevard to State Street. You'll find many of the same farmers and vendors there, plus some that only show up on weekdays, with artisan foods, crafts, and art on the Piazza della Famiglia. Both happen year-round, rain or shine.

For the logistics: the Saturday market runs from 8 AM to 2 PM, and the Wednesday market is 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM. Both are centered at the Piazza della Famiglia, 523 West Date Street, in Little Italy.