The Sunday Market in Chula Vista That Came Back After Five Years Gone

Overview

Every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Park Way in downtown Chula Vista closes between Third and Fourth Avenue and fills with more than eighty tents.

Year-round. Rain or shine — the operator's own line is that the markets run "rain or shine, just like grocery stores."

What makes this one worth the drive from anywhere in the county is the combination you almost never get: a genuinely large market, free parking in a structure right next to it, and a South Bay vendor mix you won't find in Little Italy or Hillcrest.

One thing to sort out before you go looking for it, because the internet will confuse you. This single market is published under four different names by four different organizations — "Chula Vista Certified Farmers' Market" by the county, "Chula Vista Farmers Market" by the people who run it, "Downtown Chula Vista Farmers' Market" by the tourism board, and "Third Avenue Village Market" on the city's own calendar.

Same market. Same address. Sundays.

The Basics

• Sundays, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., year-round
• 300 Park Way, on Park Way between Third and Fourth Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91910
• Right alongside Memorial Park
• Free, and free parking
• (619) 233-0582

It's operated by San Diego Markets, run by Catt Fields White — the same operation behind the Little Italy Mercato. That matters, because it means this is a professionally managed certified market rather than a loose collection of pop-up tents. The host association is the Downtown Chula Vista Association, which you may still see referred to by its former name, the Third Avenue Village Association.

What's There

This is a mixed market, not a produce-only one, and the range is wider than most:

• Produce and flowers
• Pastured eggs
• Fresh-baked bread and pastries
• Sauces and salsas
• Prepared food to eat on the spot
• Pet treats
• Handmade and artisan goods — jewellery, clothing, body care
• Household goods
• New and used books

The vendor count has grown steadily since the market came back. It was "over 60" in 2022, "more than 70" by mid-2025, and as of March 2026 local coverage put it at more than eighty tents, with setup starting at 6:30 in the morning.

Eighty-plus is a real market. You can do an actual week's shopping here, which is not true of every farmers market in the county.

CalFresh and Market Match

This is the part worth knowing about, and it's confirmed directly by the operator:

• CalFresh / SNAP EBT is accepted. You check in at the Welcome Booth to swipe your card.
• Market Match is offered — it matches your EBT spending on fruits and vegetables up to $15, limited to one transaction per card per day.
• EBT-eligible here: fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, cheese, bread, eggs and other packaged grocery items.
• Not EBT-eligible: non-food items and prepared foods.

If you use CalFresh, the $15 match effectively turns $15 of produce into $30 every Sunday. Go to the Welcome Booth first.

Parking, Transit and Dogs

Parking is the quiet advantage here. The operator states there's free parking in a large structure next to the market — which, if you've ever tried to park at a popular San Diego farmers market, is worth more than it sounds.

By transit: MTS bus stops are on Third Avenue, less than a block away.

Dogs: no. The operator is explicit that pets are not allowed, citing CalCode rules that prohibit pets at certified farmers markets. Service animals are never restricted.**

We're highlighting that because it catches people out. An outdoor market on a closed street reads as dog-friendly and isn't — and that's a statewide rule for certified markets, not a local quirk.

The Other Chula Vista Market

Most coverage misses this entirely: there are two active farmers markets in Chula Vista, and the Sunday one downtown isn't the only option.

Otay Ranch Certified Farmers' Market

• Tuesdays, 4:00 – 8:00 p.m.
• 2015 Birch Road, at Eastlake Boulevard, Chula Vista, CA 91915
• On the main street of Otay Ranch Town Center
• Operated by Community Crops

It's a different proposition — a weekday evening market rather than a Sunday morning one, which makes it the practical choice if your weekends are spoken for. The food leans international: Kenyan cuisine, sushi rice bowls, street tacos, fusion salsas, alongside produce, vintage clothing and art.

Two honest caveats. This market publishes no website or social account of its own, so there's much less information available about it — we couldn't confirm whether it accepts EBT or Market Match, and you shouldn't assume it does just because the Sunday market downtown does. Different operators, different programs. And the most detailed coverage of it we could find dates to 2019, so treat descriptions of live music and entertainment there as plausible rather than current.

If EBT matters to your trip, the Sunday market downtown is the confirmed one.

A Bit of History

The Sunday market has the longest lineage in Chula Vista and the shortest current run, which sounds contradictory until you hear the story.

An earlier Chula Vista farmers market ran for twenty-two years under the Third Avenue Village Association, and then it closed.

The current market is a revival. It came back in 2022 after a five-year absence, brought back by Catt Fields White, and celebrated its third anniversary in June 2025 with a proclamation from the City of Chula Vista.

So when you're standing in it on a Sunday, you're in something that's both decades old and only four years into its second life. That's a decent reason to support it.

How to Go

• 300 Park Way, Chula Vista, CA 91910 — Park Way between Third and Fourth Avenue
• Sundays, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., year-round
• Free admission · free parking in the structure next door
• MTS buses on Third Avenue, under a block away
• CalFresh EBT accepted at the Welcome Booth · Market Match up to $15
• No pets. Service animals welcome
• (619) 233-0582 · sandiegomarkets.com · @chulavistafarmersmarket
• Also: Otay Ranch market, Tuesdays 4–8 p.m., 2015 Birch Road

Good to Know

• Sundays, 10 to 2. Year-round, rain or shine.
• Free parking in the structure next door — rare for a market this size.
• Go to the Welcome Booth first if you're using CalFresh. That's where EBT is processed and where Market Match is applied.
• Leave the dog at home. It's a statewide rule for certified markets.
• 80+ vendors, so bring a bag bigger than you think you need.
• Arrive before noon if you want the best produce selection.
• Prepared food is there too — you can eat breakfast rather than just shop.
• Tuesdays are an option at Otay Ranch, 4 to 8 p.m., if Sundays don't work.
• It's a mixed market. Produce, yes, but also bread, eggs, salsa, crafts and books.

Why It's Worth It

Because it's a big market that's easy to get to, and those two things rarely go together here.

Eighty-plus vendors is Little Italy territory, but you can park for free in a structure thirty seconds from the tents instead of circling for twenty minutes. On a Sunday morning with a shopping list, that's the whole ballgame.

The vendor mix is the other reason. South Bay markets carry things the central and coastal markets don't, and a market that's grown from sixty tents to eighty in four years is one where vendors are doing well enough to keep coming back. That's the signal worth paying attention to — not the size, the direction.

And the CalFresh program here is genuinely well run. A $15 match on fruit and vegetables every single Sunday, year-round, processed at a staffed booth rather than left to individual vendors, is a real piece of infrastructure. If you know someone who'd use it, tell them about this one specifically.

Go on a Sunday before noon, park in the structure, hit the Welcome Booth if you need it, and plan to eat something while you're there.

Making a morning of it: Memorial Park is right alongside, so the market and a walk afterwards is a natural pairing. For more neighbourhood finds, browse our Local Picks.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Chula Vista Farmers Market? Every Sunday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., year-round.

Where is it? On Park Way between Third and Fourth Avenue in downtown Chula Vista — address 300 Park Way, CA 91910, right beside Memorial Park.

Is it free? Yes, and so is the parking.

Where do I park? There's free parking in a large structure next to the market. MTS buses also stop on Third Avenue, less than a block away.

How many vendors are there? More than eighty as of early 2026, up from around sixty when the market returned in 2022.

Does it accept EBT or CalFresh? Yes. Check in at the Welcome Booth to swipe your card. Market Match also matches EBT spending on fruit and vegetables up to $15, one transaction per card per day.

What can I buy with EBT? Fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, cheese, bread, eggs and other packaged grocery items. Non-food items and prepared foods aren't eligible.

Can I bring my dog? No. Pets aren't allowed at certified farmers markets under CalCode. Service animals are always welcome.

Does it run in the rain? Yes — the operator's position is that the markets run rain or shine.

What's sold besides produce? Flowers, pastured eggs, bread, sauces and salsas, prepared food, pet treats, jewellery, clothing, body care, household goods, and new and used books.

Is there another farmers market in Chula Vista? Yes — the Otay Ranch market runs Tuesdays from 4 to 8 p.m. at 2015 Birch Road, in the Otay Ranch Town Center. It's a separate operator, and we couldn't confirm whether it accepts EBT.

Why does this market have so many different names? Four organizations publish it under four names — the county calls it the Chula Vista Certified Farmers' Market, the operator calls it the Chula Vista Farmers Market, the tourism board calls it the Downtown Chula Vista Farmers' Market, and the city calendar lists it as the Third Avenue Village Market. They're all the same Sunday market.

How long has it been running? The current market returned in 2022 after a five-year gap. An earlier Chula Vista market ran for twenty-two years before closing.