Where and When
The Old Town Scottsdale Farmers Market runs on Saturday mornings in the Old Town area, drawing local growers, prepared-food vendors, and craft sellers to a single open-air market. For years it has operated from a lot on North Brown Avenue near the heart of Old Town, an easy walk from the gallery and dining district. A move to the City Hall parking lot has been planned, so the exact location can change -- check the market's current listing or social media page before you head over rather than assuming a specific address, especially if you're visiting outside the market's usual season.
Seasonal, Not Year-Round
Unlike a market that runs all twelve months, the Old Town Scottsdale Farmers Market operates seasonally, roughly from fall through late spring, with a pause during the hottest stretch of summer when an early-morning outdoor market becomes impractical in the desert heat. Hours also shift earlier as the season warms: expect a later morning start-to-midday window during the cooler months, sliding to an earlier, shorter window by late spring as temperatures climb. If your trip falls in the height of summer, don't plan around this market without confirming it's actually running that week.
What You'll Find
Expect the standard mix of a good regional farmers market: seasonal produce from area growers, baked goods, prepared foods and food trucks, coffee, and a rotating set of local crafts and specialty vendors. Arizona's growing seasons run differently than a lot of the country given the desert climate, so what's available shifts noticeably through the market's fall-to-spring run -- citrus and cool-season produce in winter look different from what shows up as the market heads toward its late-spring close.
Getting There
The market sits in walking distance of most of <a href="/scottsdale/blog/scottsdale-old-town-guide/">Old Town Scottsdale's</a> galleries, shops, and restaurants, so it pairs naturally with a broader morning in the district -- market first, then a wander through Old Town once the crowds at the stalls thin out. If you're staying at a resort outside walking distance, it's a short rideshare or drive into Old Town; parking downtown fills up on a busy Saturday morning, so arriving early helps on that front too. For a fuller sense of what else is nearby, see our <a href="/scottsdale/blog/scottsdale-old-town-guide/">Old Town Scottsdale guide</a> and our <a href="/scottsdale/blog/best-restaurants-in-scottsdale/">best restaurants in Scottsdale</a> guide for where to eat afterward.
Tips for Visiting
Go early. Farmers markets everywhere tend to have the best selection and the smallest crowds in the first hour, and in Scottsdale there's an added incentive once the weather warms: an early arrival means shopping before the heat builds. Bring cash as a backup even though many vendors take cards, bring your own bags, and expect a genuinely local crowd rather than a tourist-oriented event -- it's a neighborhood market that happens to sit in a popular visitor district, not a staged attraction.
Other Local Markets
The Old Town market is the best-known option, but it isn't necessarily the only farmers or artisan market operating in the wider Scottsdale area at any given time -- smaller pop-up and seasonal markets do appear elsewhere in the Valley. If the Old Town market's schedule doesn't line up with your visit, a quick search for current Scottsdale-area farmers markets closer to your travel dates is worth doing, since this kind of local-event landscape changes more often than most attractions.