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What began as an effort to bring fresh food and greater community connection to Downtown Los Angeles has grown into one of the Social District’s most welcoming weekly traditions.

The Social District Farmers’ Market will celebrate its third anniversary on Saturday, August 22, transforming Grand Avenue into a family-friendly gathering filled with local produce, prepared foods, handmade goods, live music and activities for children.

Launched in 2023, the market represents one of several neighborhood improvements introduced under the leadership of Nolan Marshall III, president and CEO of the Social District, formerly known as the South Park Business Improvement District. Since Marshall arrived in 2022, he and his team have worked to expand the organization’s mission beyond its essential clean-and-safe services by creating a district that feels more active, walkable and connected.

Working in partnership with Farm Habit, the team helped establish a bright and lively Saturday market where residents can purchase locally grown fruits and vegetables, cheese, artisanal breads, small-batch jams, Southern gumbo, hummus, handmade ceramics, body products and other specialty goods. The market also accepts CalFresh and EBT and offers Market Match, providing a dollar-for-dollar match of up to $15 for qualifying purchases of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Marshall has described farmers’ markets as an important part of building a neighborhood designed around people rather than automobiles. By closing a section of Grand Avenue each Saturday, the market creates a temporary public gathering place surrounded by Downtown’s residential towers, restaurants and entertainment destinations.

The market is only one piece of the team’s broader effort to improve daily life throughout the district. The Social District maintains nearly 30 clean-and-safety ambassadors who patrol and care for its 52-block service area seven days a week. The organization has also introduced landscaped “Barklets” for neighborhood dogs, colorful “Spark Spots,” hundreds of rose bushes and decorative lighting projects along 11th Street and Pico Boulevard.

Marshall and his team have also advocated for more permanent public space in a neighborhood that remains severely lacking in parks. That work has included efforts to transform a parking lot near 11th Street and Grand Avenue into a neighborhood park. Marshall told the Los Angeles Times that acquiring new urban park space Downtown is extraordinarily difficult, calling the possibility of a new park “huge for us.” Los Angeles Times

The district’s rebranding as the Social District reflects that same focus on bringing people together. Home to Crypto.com Arena, the Los Angeles Convention Center, L.A. LIVE, the Grammy Museum and a growing residential population, the neighborhood welcomes millions of visitors each year. However, the farmers’ market offers something more personal: a place where neighbors can meet, families can spend time together and local farmers, food vendors and artisans can build lasting relationships with their customers.

For its third-anniversary celebration, the market will offer live music, face painting, children’s jumpers and free ice cream while supplies last. Pico, the Social District’s popular canine ambassador, will also make a special appearance from 10 a.m. to noon.

The Social District Farmers’ Market takes place Saturday, August 22, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 11th Street and Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles. The market operates at the same location every Saturday, rain or shine. Social District Farmers’ Market