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Santee Farmers Market: A Complete Guide to the Wednesday Market in East County
William Routt·Jul 17, 2026·5 min.
A certified market at Mast and Carlton Hills with produce, prepared food, and local crafts. Hours shift seasonally — here's the full rundown.
The Santee Certified Farmers Market runs every Wednesday afternoon at the corner of Mast Boulevard and Carlton Hills Boulevard, year-round and rain or shine.
It's certified through the California Department of Food and Agriculture, which means the growers selling produce are the ones who grew it. But Santee is a broader market than that designation suggests — alongside the produce tables you'll find prepared food, artisan goods, honey, baked items, and crafts from local makers. It's a neighborhood market that a lot of Santee residents walk to after work, not a destination market people drive across the county for.
One thing to plan around: the hours change with the season. March through October it runs 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. November through February it shifts earlier, to 2:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Market: Santee Certified Farmers Market
When: Wednesdays, year-round, rain or shine
— March–October: 3:00–7:00 p.m.
— November–February: 2:30–6:30 p.m.
Where: Corner of Mast Boulevard and Carlton Hills Boulevard, Santee, CA 92071
Map pin: 9608 Carlton Hills Blvd
Certified market: Yes — CDFA Certified Farmers Market
Payment accepted: WIC, EBT, credit, and debit cards
What's sold: Seasonal produce, prepared food, baked goods, honey, olive oil, artisan goods, local crafts
Parking: Lot parking available behind the market
Cost: Free to browse
Contact: santeecertifiedfarmersmarket@gmail.com
It's a certified market with a wider vendor mix. The CDFA certification covers the produce side — vendors selling fruits and vegetables grew them themselves, generally on small San Diego County family farms. But the market also carries prepared foods, specialty items, and crafts, which gives it more range than a produce-only market.
It accepts WIC and EBT. Not every farmers market in the county does. If food access matters to you or to someone you're recommending this to, Santee is one of the ones that takes it, along with credit and debit.
It's genuinely a neighborhood market. The Wednesday afternoon timing and the residential location mean a good share of the crowd walked or biked over. Shoppers regularly describe it as a stop on the way home — pick up produce, grill it that night.
East County produce, in season. The vendor mix leans into what San Diego County actually grows well: citrus, avocados, dates, stone fruit, heirloom tomatoes, melons, and greens, rotating through the year.
Dog-friendly. [CONFIRM: dog policy — widely reported but verify with the market directly]
The market is small enough that an hour covers it thoroughly. Arriving in the first hour gets you the best produce selection; the last hour is quieter.
Pay attention to the season. Showing up at 6:45 p.m. in July is fine. Showing up at 6:45 p.m. in December means the market has already closed.
Produce rotates seasonally — winter brings citrus, dates, and greens; summer brings stone fruit, melons, and tomatoes. Beyond produce, the market has historically carried olive oil, jams, kettle corn, baked goods, hummus, tamales, seafood, honey, and eggs, plus crafts from San Diego artists. [CONFIRM: current vendor roster — specific vendor names sourced from an older market listing and should be spot-checked]
The market sits at Mast and Carlton Hills, in the Carlton Hills area of Santee. There's lot parking behind the market, and street parking in the surrounding neighborhood. This is not a market where parking is a problem.
If you're coming from central San Diego, it's a straightforward run out Mission Gorge Road or SR-52. Budget the drive time honestly — East County traffic on a Wednesday at 5 p.m. is real.
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