The Boulder Creek Farmers Market at Junction Park

Thursday afternoon, downtown, and the lawn at Junction Park fills up with folding tables. It runs from 1:30 to 5:30, May through October, and it's small in the way a mountain town market is small.

It's easy to miss if you don't live here. The market isn't on the county's market lists, but it's there every Thursday through the season, and the rec district posts about it as the weeks come up.

The basics

• When: Thursdays, 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.
• Season: May through October
• Where: Junction Park, Middleton Avenue at Railroad Avenue, Boulder Creek
• Who runs it: the Boulder Creek Recreation and Park District, 831-338-4144
• Dogs: only certified service dogs are allowed at Junction Park during the market, per the Santa Cruz County Health Department

Thursday dates for the rest of this season are on our events calendar alongside everything else happening in town.

What a small mountain market carries

Set your expectations to the size of the town and you'll enjoy it more. This isn't the Wednesday market in downtown Santa Cruz, and it isn't trying to be. A market this size runs on a short list rather than a wide one: what's ready this week, from growers and makers who are mostly working at a scale you can see.

What that means in practice is that it rewards flexibility. Go with a fixed plan for dinner and you might come home short a vegetable. Go willing to build dinner around whatever looks good and you'll do fine. It also means the season matters more here than it does at a big market that can backfill from a hundred miles away: May is thin, high summer is the peak, and the last weeks in October are a different shop from the first ones in June.

The other thing a small market does well is that the person selling you the thing usually grew it. That's most of the point.

Getting there and parking

Junction Park sits downtown where Middleton Avenue meets Railroad Avenue, a short walk off Highway 9. It's the park with the lawn, the picnic tables, and the path down to the river, so the market shares the space with whoever's already there on a warm afternoon.

Parking is downtown parking: some on the street, some in the surrounding lots, and less of it between 1:30 and 5:30 on a Thursday than at other times. If you live close, walking is genuinely the easier call. See our roads and parking notes if you're coming in from out of the valley.

Come early in the window if you want the best of the produce, or late if you'd rather browse without a crowd.

What isn't published

Two things people ask about, and where each one stands:

EBT and CalFresh. Whether this market takes EBT isn't published anywhere we can find, and we won't guess at it. Call the recreation district at 831-338-4144 before you rely on it.

Becoming a vendor. There's no current published application or fee for a market space. The same number is the place to start.

If you get an answer from the district on either one, tell us and we'll put it on this page.

Making an afternoon of it

The market lands at a good hour for stacking errands. The downtown shops are a two-minute walk, the library is up on West Park Avenue, and dinner is easy if you'd rather not cook what you just bought. See where to eat in Boulder Creek.

The district also runs Free Food Fridays in the open lot next to Jenna Sue's Cafe, every Friday from 3 p.m. until the items are gone, moving to Junction Park if it rains. That's a separate program from the market, and it's free.

Frequently Asked Questions

What day is the Boulder Creek Farmers Market?

Thursday, from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m., at Junction Park.

What months does it run?

May through October. It doesn't run through the winter.

Where exactly is it?

Junction Park, at Middleton Avenue and Railroad Avenue in downtown Boulder Creek, a short walk off Highway 9.

Can I bring my dog?

Only certified service dogs are allowed at Junction Park during the market, under a Santa Cruz County Health Department rule that applies to markets generally.

Does the market accept EBT or CalFresh?

That isn't published anywhere. Call the Boulder Creek Recreation and Park District at 831-338-4144 to check before you go.

How do I sell at the market?

There's no published application. Start with the recreation district at 831-338-4144, or its office at 13333 Middleton Avenue, open Tuesday to Friday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Is this a certified farmers market?

We can't confirm that either way. Santa Cruz County's certified-market list doesn't include Boulder Creek, but that list is from 2022 and says nothing about how this market operates today.

Last reviewed August 6, 2026. Day, hours, season, and operator are confirmed locally rather than from a listings site, because no listings site carries this market. Confirm before you build a trip around it.

For more of what's on, see our events calendar and fun things to do in Boulder Creek. For the parks themselves, see parks and playgrounds. Browse the business directory. Something out of date? Tell us.