Hillcrest Farmers Market

Garland Making

2011-12-13T09:42:00.000-08:00

This weekend at the Hillcrest Farmers Market, we were getting ready for the holidays! We had garland making over at the info booth! We welcomed market patrons to come over and make garlands to either put them up on their Christmas tree at home or wear them as jewelry! Kids filled the table with holiday spirit as yarn and beads were everywhere. We saw some beautiful creations made from our market patrons. We had both kids and adults in the holiday spirit making garlands at our booth

One of our pretty vendor's daughters, Layla, decided to make a colorful necklace to wear around the market. Her necklace definitely had some beautiful patterns on it.

A new interesting addition we had at the market this week was a street performer. A man dressed and painted in gold stood and posed as a

statue in the heart of the market! You only see something like this in downtown, so it was cool seeing it at the market! People walked by and took pictures with the statue. It was quite the festive week here at the Hillcrest Farmers Market

Check back here and on hillcrestfarmersmarket.com for all of your market updates! Stay fresh and fabulous! We’ll see you next week! The Hillcrest Farmers Market WILL BE CLOSED DECEMBER 25TH AND JANUARY 1ST! It will return January 8th

Visiting Chef Series

2011-12-06T10:24:00.000-08:00

This weekend at the Hillcrest Farmers Market we had our Visiting Chef Series! It was quite the treat to have these chefs come by and whip up some delicious foods! We were joined by Chef Bernard Guillas and Chef Ron Oliver from the Marine Room in La Jolla. The two prepared a scrumptious dessert called Hibiscus Lemon Tart. Because the dessert required some baking and overnight refrigeration, in addition to the cooking lesson, the chefs brought some of their pre-made Hibisbus Lemon Tart!

Chef Bernard started off demonstrating how to make the

Hibiscus Lemon Curd. He whisked some eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl which was followed by the addition of some flour and baking powder. He added some fresh lemon juice, zest and some hibiscus flowers. He then placed the bowl over a pot of simmering water without letting it touch the water. He added some butter and Lemoncello and whisked it until it was thick.

Chef Ron taught us how to make the Almond Cumin Crunch. He started off by buttering the tart pan, and then he creamed some butter, sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Then came in the almond meal, cumin seeds, flour and some eggs. He combined everything to make it into dough and kneaded it into the sides of the pan. We were told to bake it. He had an already made Almond Cumin Crunch, which Chef Bernard poured the tart into it. They informed it would be best to refrigerate it overnight.

When it was all done he cut some slices of the Hibiscus Lemon Tart and passed it off to B who topped it with some whip creme. YUM! It was the perfect sweet goodie for the afternoon.

Spooky Halloween

2011-11-04T14:24:00.000-07:00

This weekend at the Hillcrest Farmers Market we had our Market Trick-or-Treat! It was quite the spooky afternoon with all the ghost, goblins, and witches roaming the market. We were joined by our artistic face painter, Sarah Runyan, who added an extra spark to people’s costumes.

Sarah hung out at the Info Booth with us as market people stopped by to get their face painted throughout the day. On many occasions, Sarah painted on masks for everyone to match their costume.

One of our adorable market regulars, Amanda, came as a wicked witch, and Sarah painted on a spider web and a black widow on her cheek. She definitely left our booth looking spookier!

Other costumes we saw lurking around including Bob the Builder, witches, ninjas, batmans, bumble bees, fairies, and supermans.

At participating market booths, the vendors, who also dressed up, were giving out various candies, treats and goodies. Also at our info booth, we had spider basket making for everyone to keep their goodies in, as they were trick-or-treating around the market!

Next week at the farmers market we will be having an Apple Bobbing activity! You like apples? Like them so much you can eat them without your hands? Come check out the Apple Bobbing at our next market!

Check back here and on hillcrestfarmersmarket.com for all of your market updates! Stay fresh and fabulous! We’ll see you next week!

Amping up for CityFest 2011

2011-08-17T16:22:00.000-07:00

This weekend at the market we pumped ourselves up with a fun filled afternoon before heading over to the 27th annual Hillcrest CityFest! We were joined by our balloon guy, Tyler Sterling of Pretend Inc, who is totally amazing.

Tyler hung out with us at the Info Booth and market patrons came over to get awesome balloon creations and tattoos throughout the course of the day.

We were joined at the info booth by new and old faces- our #1 fan came by in the dress that she tie-dyed with us last weekend and had Tyler create a puppy for her to walk around the market.

We also saw Mario and Princess Peach at the market, as well as an assortment of turtles, flower rings, lady bugs, and aliens!

After the market on Sunday we packed up and headed on over to Hillcrest's biggest annual event- CityFest! We hung out with The Spirt of Hillcrest, and Tempo and watched the brand new Hillcrest sign light up the intersection of 5th and University while enjoying awesome bands and tasty food and drinks throughout the course of the festival.

Next week at the farmers market we will be hanging out at the heart of the market at 1pm for our monthly Visiting Chef Series with Chef Johnny Durant from San Diego's very own Top of the Market. He'll be preparing togoroshi seared ahi tuna with heirloom tomatoes & mixed greens finished with micro arugula and a koo ju jang vinaigrette!

Check back here and on hillcrestfarmersmarket.com for all of your market updates! Stay fresh and fabulous! We'll see you next week!

Getting groovy at the Hillcrest Farmers Market

2011-08-10T13:52:00.000-07:00

This weekend at the Hillcrest Farmers Market we tie-dyed! It was as awesome in August as it was in March when we did it the first time. We had kids and adults tie-dying and helping each other out.

It was quite the sight, really, because we had more adults participate this time around than kids. At one point we only had adults in the booth tie-dying! It was amusing to get everyone down on the ground, and especially because they had never done it before. Everyone helped each other out, and we got some groovy designs out of the whole thing. We even kept most of the dye on the t-shirts and not on ourselves!

Next Sunday we'll be celebrating CityFest on 5th & University Avenue's from Noon - 9pm. There will be a brand new Hillcrest sign and we're relighting it at 8pm. We WILL be at the farmers market this weekend and there will be face painting and a balloon guy to get in the CityFest spirit. Stop by and hang out with us first and then take the free shuttle straight over to CityFest from the DMV lot.

Check back here and on hillcrestfarmersmarket.com for all of your market updates! We look forward to seeing you this weekend! Stay fresh and fabulous!

2011-08-03T12:25:00.000-07:00

We had all kinds of fun at our Info Booth Luau at the Farmers Market this weekend! It was a beautiful sunny and warm day in Hillcrest, and the market was packed!

At our luau we had games- bean bag tic-tac-toe. We had leis to welcome market patrons, and an awesome monkey photo banner that luau-ers got to put their faces in for a fun photo-op! We had kids and adults trying to get their photo taken, and everyone had a really awesome time.

Next weekend we are tie-dying again! After a super successful tie-dye event in March we decided to bring it back for some middle of the summer fun. Sign up for a session at the Info Booth starting at 9:30a with the last one at 1:30pm before the market closes at 2pm. BYO shirt/dye-able item or make a donation and get one from us! Come early 'cause last time we sold out!

We look forward to seeing everyone at the farmers market this weekend! Don't forget to save the dates: August 7th Tie-Dye, August 14th CityFest Face Painting, and our monthly Visiting Chef Series August 21st! Check back here and on hillcrestfarmersmarket.com for all of your market updates!

July Visiting Chef Series - Chef Hanis Cavin of Kensington Grill

2011-07-25T14:55:00.000-07:00

This Sunday at the Hillcrest Farmers Market we were joined by Chef Hanis Cavin of Kensington Grill and his sidekick sous chef, "B", for our monthly Visiting Chef Series. The two prepared a delicious gazpacho topped with blackened shrimp, jicama, and micro cilantro.

Gazpacho is a chilled soup typically made with a tomato base and a variety of vegetables and herbs. Chef Hanis used tomatoes, red and green bell peppers, red onion, jalepeno, and worcestershire sauce. He advised the crowd not to use salt because gazpacho is typically a sweeter soup, and while salt is a very important ingredient to many recipes, this is the first part of the meal and sets the stage for everything else.

We also talked a lot about the peppers- jalapeno's are just little bell peppers, and their heat is in their seeds. Depending on the level of spicy-ness that you're looking for will depend on how much of the peppers you add to your soup. If you love it, then load it up! Chef Hanis let us know that when chopping up your peppers you want to remove the white part on the inside of the pepper- it's bitter and won't add good flavor to your dish.

After prepping the soup Chef Hanis tossed the shrimp and some secret house seasoning (we could tell you but then we'd have to kill you) into a pan for just a couple of minutes. It's important when cooking seafood that you don't let them cook for longer than necessary- they don't need much time and overcooking will remove the tenderness of the fish.

When it was all done he scooped some soup into little cups and passed it off to B who topped it with diced jicama, shrimp, and micro cilantro. YUM! It was the perfect meal for a hot afternoon.

Join us next week for our Info Booth Luau, and Tie-Dye on August 7th! BYO dyeable item or make a donation to get a t-shirt from us! Check back here and hillcrestfarmersmarket.com for all of your market updates!

Stay Fresh & Fabulous, we'll see you next week!

Watermelon Eating Competition @ the Hillcrest Farmers Market!

2011-07-18T16:15:00.001-07:00

This weekend at the market we had a watermelon eating competition between participating market patrons! We welcomed guests to sign up at the Info Booth for a little competition every half hour and sliced up approximately 1/4 of a watermelon for each competitor to devour. Whoever did it the fastest won bragging rights. At the end of the day, the winner took home an entire watermelon! A little ironic, but totally fun. We had parents competing against their kids, and kids under 10 against others their age, as well as the most polite competition between the first competitors of the day! Watermelons are at the beginning of their season right now and are available at various vendors throughout the Hillcrest Farmers Market!

Check out all of the competition photos on our flickr photostream, or on our facebook! And check back for all of your market updates here or at hillcrestfarmersmarket.com

Stay fresh & fabulous, we'll see you next weekend!

Cooling off at the Hillcrest Farmers Market

2011-07-11T11:55:00.000-07:00

This weekend at the Hillcrest Farmers Market we cooled off with some pretty hand-fans that were decorated by market patrons. We got the idea from another market patron who visited us from Omaha, Nebraska a few months ago. Bill was decorating a fan for his granddaughter using markers and a paper fan that he bought offline, and was creating a Disney princess theme for her. We loved the idea so much we bought 40 of our own fans!

Parents and children alike collaborated on their fans, and we got some beautiful and eclectic designs out of the whole thing. We welcomed new friendly faces, as well as many of our market regulars.

Next week we're welcoming the heat of the summer by throwing a watermelon eating competition. Think you have what it takes? Come sign up at the Info Booth and compete over the course of the day to be the watermelon eating champ!

July 24th we'll be hosting our monthly Visiting Chef Series, followed by an Info Booth Luau on July 31st filled with Hawaiian lei's and a pinata ('cause why not?!)

Check back here as well as hillcrestfarmersmarket.com for all of your market updates. We'll see you next week!

4th of July at the Market

2011-07-06T10:56:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday at the Hillcrest Farmers market we celebrated the Fourth of July a little early. We had a gorgeous 3 day weekend laid out for us and plenty of fun planned at the market.

Market patrons came to the Info Booth and we created patriotic pinwheels using paper, crayons and markers, thumbtacks, and wooden bbq skewers. We used an easy template that we found online at kaboose and set to work. Lucky for us, it was a windy day and our pinwheels were spinning like crazy!

Check our website for all of our fabulous market updates: hillcrestfarmersmarket.com and our calendar of upcoming events! In July we'll be decorating Chinese style paper fans, having a watermelon eating competition, and of course, our monthly Visiting Chef Series!

Stay Fresh & Fabulous! We'll see you next week!

Visiting Chef Series - Brazen BBQ

2011-06-27T12:50:00.000-07:00

This weekend at the Hillcrest Farmers Market we hosted our monthly Visiting Chef Series with Hillcrest's highly anticipated Brazen BBQ.

Owners John Bracamonte and Chef Brad Thomas joined us at the heart of the market at 1pm this Sunday to give the Hillcrest market goers a taste of their delicious barbecue and tease us for another few weeks before their restaurant opens up it's first location at 441 Washington Street in Hillcrest (the corner of 5th and Washington).

First we started off with herbed polenta cake on top of a roasted red pepper coulis, topped with smoked brisket and crispy fried onions. Drizzled with an ancho garlic bbq sauce. It's as amazing as it sounds.

Next up were the most tender, fall off the bone delicious pork spare ribs with a smokey pomegranate BBQ sauce. Brazen BBQ believes in smoking delicious meats low and slow to ensure the best flavor and bring out the most tender qualities of the meat, and they succeed!

We started our event at 1pm and by 1:15, 5 racks of ribs and 30+ polenta were GONE. We had market patrons coming out of the woodwork to try Brazen's delicious meats, with many looking to purchase racks of ribs right then and there!

Unfortunately, we will have to keep our eyes open for their official Grand Opening date, but luckily it will only be a few weeks. These pit bosses are waiting on a few state restaurant permits and then we'll have an official opening date. They're slated for the end of July, and we want to be first in line!

Check back with us here, and on Facebook and Twitter for more info about Brazen BBQ as well as all of our fabulous updates. Find us at hillcrestfarmersmarket.com for more market updates!

Next week we'll be celebrating July 4th at the market with patriotic arts and crafts, followed by a watermelon eating contest on July 10th!

Can't wait for next week! We'll see you there!

Happy Father's Day from the Hillcrest Farmers Market!

2011-06-20T12:55:00.000-07:00

This weekend the Hillcrest Farmers Market celebrated Dad's everywhere! We invited market patrons to the Info Booth to come by and create something for Dad! We had tie making kits with glue and glitter, and all kinds of fun stickers and paper for kids to make a card for a special guy in their life. Of course their were markers and crayons galore and many a father walked away with their smiling child and a thoughtful card. "DAD YOU ROCK" and "I LOVE YOU" were just some of the messages found inside of the Father's Day cards we made this weekend.

Next week we have our monthly Visiting Chef Series with Hillcrest's highly anticipated 'Brazen BBQ' guys at 1pm at the heart of the market, followed by Patriotic Pinwheels on July 3rd, and a Watermel0n Eating Contest on July 10th!

Check out HillcrestFarmersMarket.com for all of your market updates and a full calendar of upcoming events!

Maraca Making Mania at the Hillcrest Farmers Market!

2011-06-13T12:14:00.000-07:00

This weekend at the market we made super sweet maracas! Market patrons came by the Info Booth and used all kinds of fun materials to make one of a kind instruments.

We had pirate themed stickers, underwater creatures, and monkeys swinging from branches. We used glue, glitter, markers, crayons, and plenty of ribbon, and then filled our cups with popcorn kernels, beans, and rice before sealing up our cups and waiting for the opportunity to jam out with other market patrons!

Next week we'll be celebrating Father's Day so make sure to bring your day and come by the Info Booth to make something fun!

Also, check back here and on hillcrestfarmersmarket.com for all of your market updates!

Catching rays @ the Market

2011-06-06T12:55:00.000-07:00

This Sunday at the Hillcrest Farmers Market we made sun catchers at the Info Booth! It was a beautiful day packed with the usual hustle and bustle that comes with such nice weather. We invited market patrons to come by the Info Booth to make sun catchers with us out of multi-colored beads and clear lanyard.

After a little while the kids took matters into their own hands and started to make necklaces, color, and one little girl started doodling with chalk on the ground. We had a lot of fun and got excited for our upcoming maraca making/musical jam session that we'll have next week!

Check back here and on hillcrestfarmersmarket.com for all of your market updates! Also, next week, Maraca Making, followed by some Father's Day fun & Visiting Chef Series, and ICE CREAM MAKING (can you tell we're excited?) the last weekend of June. See you there!

May Face Painting at the Market!

2011-05-23T15:30:00.000-07:00

This weekend we had face painting at the market! May gray didn't keep market patrons away and we had a great time with kids that came to the Info Booth to transform themselves into tigers, dragons, and fairy princesses. One of our vendors even got involved because everyone was having so much fun!

Join us next week for our monthly Visiting Chef Series. We'll be hosting Hillcrest's anxiously anticipated Brazen Barbecue at the heart of the market at 1pm!

For everything fresh and fabulous, visit us at hillcrestfarmersmarket.com!

Fish Throwing Competition at the Market!

2011-05-16T16:46:00.000-07:00

This week was WILD at the market as we paired up with Bristol Bay Salmon Co. for a Pike's Place inspired fish throwing competition! Bristol Bay Salmon Co. sells wild caught salmon every week at the farmers market until owner Jarret Stevens goes away for the summer on a fishing expedition!

We kicked off after 12:30 and had a mass of people waiting to toss fish. People paired up with friends, family, and even strangers and wrapped themselves in disposable gloves and aprons before lining up across from each other at the center of the market.

We had an absolute awesome time pulling people out of the crowd to toss fish across the width of Normal Street! In our winners face off round we had a pair of young brothers against a young couple for a chance to win $25 of merchandise from Bristol Bay Salmon Co. Check out all of our photos on Flickr or Facebook!

Join us next week for face painting at the Info Booth, followed by our monthly Visiting Chef Series on May 29!

Stay fresh! And as always check out hillcrestfarmersmarket.com for all of our fabulous updates!

Mother's Day at the Market

2011-05-09T11:56:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to you and yours!

What a great day at the market! Many of our usual market goers came by with their families yesterday to get some fresh food for a Mother's Day celebration, and stopped by the Info Booth to pot flowers for some of the special ladies in their life. We brought in some pretty pink, purple and white annuals and potted them in biodegradable pots that kids got to decorate with markers and crayons, and some even decorated pictures and notes to attach to a wooden skewer to stick in the dirt!

Next week we have our Pike's Place inspired Fish Throwing Competition. We'll be giving away prizes to the winners of each round, and then will have a grand prize at the end for the ultimate fish throwing winners!

Join us May 22 for Face Painting, May 29 for our monthly Visiting Chef Series with Chef Mary-Jo, and June 5 to create your own Sun Catcher! For our full calendar, and all other market needs visit us at hillcrestfarmersmarket.com

Stay Fresh and Fabulous, we'll see you next week!

Kicking off May at the Market

2011-05-04T11:10:00.001-07:00

This past Sunday was the first day of May (which means we will have a Friday the 13th this month!) and we had some Wild Card Arts & Crafts going on at the market. Kids came by and used everything in the craft box- yarn, glue, paper, crayons, markers, silver spray painted noodles, fuzz balls, and even googly eyes to create fun and funky designs. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and we even got an opportunity to pick up some of Sage Mountain Farms' delicious golden and red beets, as well as some oysters from Poppa's Fresh Fish Company.

This upcoming week at the market we will be celebrating moms everywhere by planting fresh flowers in biodegradable pots and decorating them. On May 15 we will have a Pike Place inspired Fish Throwing Competition starting at 12:30 at the heart of the market.

Stay tuned in with all the market happenings here and over at hillcrestfarmersmarket.com

Stay Fresh and Fabulous, we'll see you Sunday!

Easter Sunday @ the Market!

2011-04-25T13:06:00.000-07:00

Easter was a kick this year at the Hillcrest Farmers Market! We started at 9a with 35 vendors participating in a market wide egg hunt marked by pastel colored balloons at each of their booths. We distributed over 500 eggs, and had 40 recycled milk jugs from Joe's on the Nose, Babycakes, and the Starbucks on Robinson and 5th Ave in Hillcrest.

Kids and parents came by the Info Booth first; there were recycled milk jugs with the spouts cut off available to decorate as Easter baskets. We had flower, heart, and space shaped stickers, as well as foam sticker sheets for kids to create their own designs; markers, crayons, tape, glue, puff balls, and feathers. We even have the fake grass for the inside of the jugs!

After they were finished decorating, they ran off throughout the market on a semi-guided Easter Egg Hunt! Vendors hid eggs throughout their booths filled with stickers, tattoos, bouncy balls, and even veggies! Sage Mountain Farms made many children happy with fresh carrots in their eggs!

Be sure to check out all of our awesome upcoming events on hillcrestfarmersmarket.com like plant potting on May 8 for Mother's Day, a Pike's Place inspired Fish Throwing Competition on May 15, and our monthly Visiting Chef Series featuring Chef Mary Jo from Gossip Grill on May 29!

Celebrating Earth Day at the Market!

2011-04-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

In honor of Earth Day on April 22, we celebrated at the market by using recycled and reusable products to create lucky lady bugs and creepy crawly hand puppets! Kids at the market came to the Info Booth and used paper plates, markers, crayons, sticky googly eyes, and construction paper to create their puppet friends.

Next week the market WILL be open. Bring your little ones to the Info Booth and create funky fun recycled Easter baskets, and then head throughout the market on an Easter Egg Hunt! Joe's on the Nose donated their used milk cartons and we'll be cutting off the tops and decorating them for Easter baskets, and then sending the little ones on an egg hunt throughout the market!

In the coming weeks we have some more fun planned for market days! May 8th we will be celebrating Moms at the market with an awesome planting project. May 15th the HBA is teaming up with Bristol Bay Salmon Co to host our first ever fish throwing competition as inspired by Pike's Place Fish Market in Seattle. On May 22nd will be our monthly Visiting Chef Series with Chef Mary Jo of Hillcrest's very own Gossip Grill.

For all other market info head to hillcrestfarmersmarket.com

Stay Fresh & Fabulous, we'll see you next week!

Visiting Chef Series - Chef Scotty Wagner

2011-04-11T10:42:00.000-07:00

This Sunday we had the most beautiful weather, and a packed market, which was perfect for our April Visiting Chef Series! Chef Scotty Wagner of Chile Co. came to the market and shared some awesome food knowledge with market patrons, and then prepared a salad of fresh greens, heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh squeezed lemon, and a balsamic reduction.

Make sure to check out hillcrestfarmersmarket.com for all of your market needs and upcoming events!

Happy April

2011-04-04T11:25:00.001-07:00

In the spirit of spring, this week at the market we created water colored butterflies. We used coffee filters, watercolors, pipe cleaners and adhesive googly-eyes to create pastel colored creatures.

In an effort to be as green as possible, we've been using and reusing materials that can already be found in our craft box, as well as our homes.

Next week we will be featuring our Visiting Chef Series at 1pm at the heart of the market with Chef Scott Wagner from Chile Bistro Co, so be sure to stop by for an awesome food adventure!

For everything market related, be sure to check out hillcrestfarmersmarket.com!

See you next week!

Tie Dye @ the Market!

2011-03-29T11:04:00.000-07:00

What an intense and awesome event! This week at the market we had our weekly market goers bring items to tie dye, and had t-shirts available on hand for those who passed by and wanted to join in.

We laid down a plastic drop cloth, and lined up 4 packs of dye supplies: plastic gloves, rubber bands, bottles of dye, and plastic bags with a "How To Once You're Home" sheet. As kids waited their turn to dye, they looked on to see what was going on and got some pretty funky ideas.

Everyone from tots to mom and dad got down and dyed at the market. We started off slowly, but from 10:30a-2p we were packed with people waiting for their chance to create a psychedelic tee.

Make sure you check back with www.hillcrestfarmersmarket.com for awesome upcoming events, and all of your market needs!

March Visiting Chef Series

2011-03-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

We didn't let the rain get in the way of a good time at the market this Sunday! While cooler than all would have liked, the rain (mostly) stayed away, and the show carried on.

This weekend the market hosted Serge Chable from The Wine Lover for our monthly Visiting Chef Series. He prepared a fun and light pear and apple based salad! The fresh greens were picked up in the afternoon just before the series started, as well as the pink lady apples that were sliced up in the salad. Serge previously toasted up some pine nuts, telling the audience that a small skillet, low heat, and pine nuts were all that were needed for the toasty treat- the nuts have enough oils in them naturally that anything additional is unnecessary. The salad was then dressed with a lovely pear and apple cider vinaigrette that was prepped prior to arriving at the market.

Since Serge is the sommelier at The Wine Lover, he also suggested a chardonnay wine to pair with this fantastic spring salad.

Check us out next month for April's Visiting Chef Series!

Also, next week at the market: TYE-DYE! Everyone is welcome to bring any clean and dye-able item with them to the market, or for a small donation we will have t-shirts available! We'll be dying at the Info Booth every hour starting at 9am, so be sure to swing by!

For everything else market related, check us out at www.hillcrestfarmersmarket.com

Stay fresh and fabulous! We'll see you next week!

St. Patty's Day @ the Market

2011-03-14T11:12:00.000-07:00

St. Patty's Day came early this year to Hillcrest Farmers Market. We celebrated by creating good luck "wreaths" made of paper plates, tissue paper, glue, markers, and some of the left over sticker jewels from Mardi Gras last week.

It was a beautiful day that kicked off slowly, as many people were probably sleeping through the time change, but all in all, we had a great day at the market.

Keep up to date with all market info by checking in at hillcrestfarmersmarket.com, and don't forget to mark March 27th on your calendar! We'll be doing an awesome group tye dye every half hour!

Stay fresh! We'll see you next Sunday at the market!

Market Mardi Gras!

2011-03-07T11:44:00.000-08:00

This Sunday we celebrated Mardi Gras at the market! Green, gold, and purple were brought out in spades and we decorated masks in honor of Fat Tuesday.

There was glitter, and feathers, along with sticker jewels, and a chance to win 2 tickets to Hillcrest's Mardi Gras party on Tuesday, March 8.

The winner will be e-mailed later today, so keep your eyes on your inbox, and we'll see you tomorrow!!!

Have a fabulous Mardi Gras week, we'll see you on Sunday! Head to hillcrestfarmersmarket.com for all of your market needs!

2011-02-28T11:12:00.000-08:00

Sunday was a good day at the market! Saturday's pouring rain and gray clouds of doom cleared up and provided us with chillier temperatures than we've been used to, but still a bright and sunshiny day!

The HBA booth was visited by Carlos, our face painter, and we had an awesome combination of butterfly princesses and shark attacks going on! We also had paper and crayons and markers out so that anyone who got a face painted creation could color while they waited.

Next week we will be decorating face masks in honor of Mardi Gras on Tuesday, March 8! Bring out your gold, green, and purple, and come to the market for our very own Mardi Gras party! Also, make sure to sign up for our fabulous newsletter- if you sign up to win by next Sunday, March 6, you enter to win 2 tickets to Hillcrest's Mardi Gras party from 6-11p on Tuesday night!

Stay Fresh! And head to hillcrestfarmersmarket.com for all of your market needs!

2011-02-23T12:29:00.000-08:00

This past weekend at the market was chilly! We had some sun showers throughout the day, so market attendance was a little spotty. We had the markers and crayons out with some of our leftover Valentine's themed art supplies and the kids created all kinds of drawings.

We've got big plans coming up at the market! Face painting this Sunday, all day! And on March 6th we'll have mask making for Mardi Gras!

Don't forget to swing by the booth to sign up for our fabulous newsletter! Everyone who signs up between now and March 6th enters to win 2 tickets to Hillcrest Mardi Gras on March 8th!

Stay fresh and fabulous! And find us at hillcrestfarmersmarket.com for all of your market needs!

Visiting Chef Series – Chef Rich Sweeney

2011-02-16T12:39:00.000-08:00

On Valentine’s Eve the Hillcrest Farmers Market welcomed Chef Rich Sweeney from R-Gang Eatery at the heart of the market for a decadent dinner for two demonstration.

Chef Sweeney’s meal included sweet and savory shrimp on the barbie over a salad of fresh mixed greens, citrus, and tomatoes with an apple vinaigrette.

The shrimp were marinated in a maple gastrique and started earlier that morning- Chef Sweeney suggested that when recreating the dish you start the gastrique earlier in the day for the fullest flavor. A gastrique is typically a sauce that, in its simplest form, is made of citrus and caramelized sugar. Chef Sweeney used maple syrup, brown sugar and lemon juice. Before firing up the barbecue you should also soak your bamboo skewers for at least 20 minutes to prevent them from burning up on the bbq.

A few other pointers from Chef Sweeney on shrimp include erring on the side of caution when seasoning them; they tend to be briney, and you don’t want to over season them. Also, cook them over medium heat for only a couple of minutes on each side. You can always put them back on the bbq if they are undercooked, but overcooked shrimp are not so tasty. Remember, less is more. One of the favorite tidbits of information that was shared on Sunday was in reference to dressing a salad- because the dressing has vinegar in it, it will wilt the lettuce in a hurry if you apply it directly to the top of the salad. Chef Sweeney suggests that you have your salad in a large mixing bowl, and pour the dressing onto the side of the bowl. As it drips down the side, roll the lettuce with your hands throughout the bowl to get maximum dressing coverage, with minimal wiltage.

To reach Chef Sweeney, you can stop by R-Gang Eatery, located on 5^th Ave just south of Pennsylvania in Hillcrest, or you can e-mail him and his crew at www.rgangeatery.com. If you sign up for the R-Gang newsletter, they promised to forward this weekend’s recipe to everyone!

If you missed the Visiting Chef Series this month, check back for updates on up and coming events at www.hillcrestfarmersmarket.com! And swing by the Info Booth from now until March 6^th to enter to win two tickets to Mardi Gras on March 8!

SUPER (Bowl) SUNDAY!

2011-02-07T14:46:00.000-08:00

Thank goodness for good weather! This Sunday at the market we embraced the football theme and created the head of a football player with paper plates, markers, crayons and a few stickers. Kids that came by the booth let us know who their favorite teams were, and they personalized their crafts by coming up with improvisations to what we created. Many cut out eyes to create a football mask, some added popsicle sticks, and a few made girl NFL player plates!

This coming week, in honor of LOVE, Chef Rich Sweeney from Hillcrest's very own R-Gang Eatery will be performing a decadent dinner for two Valentine's dinner demonstration! Join us at 1pm at the heart of the market where Chef Sweeney will show everyone how to make their own Valentine's dinner with what is available at the market.

Stay Fresh and Fabulous! www.hillcrestfarmersmarket.com for all Farmers Market info!

Celebrating Chinese New Year at the Market

2011-01-31T15:23:00.001-08:00

This Sunday we celebrated Chinese New Year at the market. With the year of the Rabbit approaching on Thursday, February 3, we had kids that came by the info booth creating and designing paper plate rabbits and multi-colored paper lanterns. Paper plates, googly eyes, puff ball tails, and all of the crayons and markers were used for a blistery and successful day at the market.

Coming up- February 13, our Visiting Chef Series returns to the market with Chef Rich Sweeney from R-Gang eatery. He will base his menu on what is available at the market and show everyone how to prepare a tasty Valentine's meal for two! Come by the info booth next Sunday, February 6 for more details.

Stay Fresh! And as always, visit www.hillcrestfarmersmarket.com for all of your market information!

Sunday, January 23

2011-01-24T11:50:00.000-08:00

Another beautiful Sunday to be at the market!

This week we used recyclable materials to teach market-goers fun ways to reuse things they already have at home and create fun projects. Using an easy template from the internet, the kids that came by the Information Booth used thick paper shopping bags from various grocery stores to make party hats. We used the art supplies that we've collected over the past months- crayons, markers, feathers, stickers, and secured the hats with twine, tying a bow under each persons chin as they finished decorating their hats.

Next week we'll be celebrating the new year (again) by ringing in the Chinese New Year- The Year of the Rabbit. Come to the Info Booth for fun facts about the new year, and create your own good luck charm.

As always, for everything else Hillcrest Farmers Market related, be sure to visit hillcrestfarmersmarket.com

Sunday, January 16th

2011-01-19T11:32:00.000-08:00

What an awesome day! It was one by far one of the warmest and most beautiful days to be at the Hillcrest Farmers market this year!

We kicked off on Sunday with Arts & Crafts at the Info Booth- paper doll chains. Kids (and a few parents) used foam with a sticker backing to design outfits, along with crayons, markers, colored pencils, stickers, and even a few feathers.

Coming up soon at the market:

Sunday, January 30 - Chinese New Year Arts and Crafts. Come visit us at the Info Booth and help ring in the New Year.

Sunday, February 6 - Super Bowl Sunday at the Market! Pass through the Info Booth and let us know who your vote for the winning team is!

For everything else Hillcrest Farmers Market related, be sure to visit hillcrestfarmersmarket.com

Artist at the Market

2011-01-11T12:28:00.000-08:00

Hillcrest hosted a live art demonstration and mini gallery last Sunday at the Farmers Market. The local artists that were featured were twin sisters, Nicole and Roxanne Mather. Nicole and Roxanne received their Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees from the University of California, San Diego. Their technique consists of acrylic and oil paintings on canvas and wooden material. This dynamic duo is community-oriented, beautifying local private and public spaces. Roxanne’s artwork will be featured in Hillcrest’s newest nightclub, Eden; available for your viewing pleasure at the club’s grand opening.

Our artists entertained us with their inspiring talents during a live art demonstration that took place throughout the entire market day. On-lookers stopped to watch them paint three creative and fun artworks and were able to look through their entire collection, they had plenty to choose from!

If you are interested in more of their work, contact Nicole or visit Roxanne's website!

Freshening Up The New Year @ The Market!

2011-01-11T11:12:00.001-08:00

The Hillcrest Farmers Market kicked off 2011 with New Year’s resolutions arts and crafts. Both children and parents took part in creating a photo and frame of their New Year goals. They got to choose from Popsicle sticks, metallic dried noodles, fuzz balls, pipe cleaners, and more. Some goals included living freely, eating healthier, exercising more, and eating more pasta! It was a Happy New Year from the Hillcrest Farmers Market!

New Vendors at the Hillcrest Farmers Market!

2010-12-13T15:52:00.000-08:00

There are a few new faces at the Hillcrest Farmers Market that you’ll be seeing each week. From seafood to cheeses these new vendors are sure to satisfy your taste-buds.

Poppa’s Fresh Fish Company, headed by Mark, offers delicious ready-to-eat treats such as shrimp and fish tacos, fresh sea urchins, and homemade ceviche. All prepared food is made with Poppa’s fresh seafood and fresh ingredients from other farmers market vendors. Alongside their prepared food Poppa’s offers fresh, never frozen, fish filleted right before the market. Dedicated to increasing the population of local seafood lovers, Mark is willing to give any market patron a quick tutorial on how to cook any piece of fish and recipes that work well. If you’re looking for a specific piece or type of fish Poppa’s also takes special orders. To learn more about Poppa’s Fresh Fish Company visit their Facebook page!

SonRise Ranch brings free-range chicken, beef, and pork to the Hillcrest Farmers Market. With many cuts available visitors are sure to find what they want. All the beef products have been one-hundred percent grass-fed from start to finish and all products have no antibiotics or hormones. The ranch prides itself on its self-sustaining, rotational feeding model where the different animals are put to roam at varying times in the same pastures.

TASTE Artisan Cheese will be providing the Hillcrest Farmers Market with an assortment of cheeses each week. Mary, who runs the booth, warns not to come expecting a certain cheese as the product offering will change each week. To see what cheeses will be offered each week join the TASTE mailing list on their website. The two cheeses that Mary does promise to have in stock every week are ricotta and burrata. Wondering how you will get your cheese before it sells out and needing time to shop further at the market? No worries, TASTE provides a “Park your Cheese” service where they will keep your purchased cheese cool until you have finished the rest of your shopping.

Make sure you visit these and all the other vendors at the Hillcrest Farmers Market each Sunday from 9am-2pm!

Hillcrest Streetcar Proposals

2010-12-06T14:26:00.000-08:00

The Hillcrest Farmers Market welcomed a group of UCSD Urban Studies students this past Sunday in order to hear proposals of bringing a streetcar to the Hillcrest area. With their presentation set up along the walkway in front of the information booth plenty of market patrons stopped to hear about what a streetcar could bring to the the neighborhood. Alleviating traffic and parking issues, allowing for a convenient way to reach downtown, and adding some interest to the area were all cited as some reasons why a streetcar could be beneficial to Hillcrest.

While parents looked at the students' research, children were able to create pictures and drawings of what they thought the streetcar design should look like.

Check out upcoming Holiday events occuring at the Hillcrest Farmers Market at: www.HillcrestFarmersMarket.com!

Visiting Chef Series at the Hillcrest Farmers Market

2010-12-01T14:07:00.000-08:00

The Visiting Chef Series appeared once again at the Hillcrest Farmers Market with Chef Jeff Rossman from Terra. Using fresh ingredients all found at the farmers market Chef Rossman cooked up some goat-cheese grits topped with fresh veggies, a dish that received rave reviews from all market patrons who attended the event.

See when the next Visiting Chef will be at the Hillcrest Farmers Market by checking back at HillcrestFarmersMarket.com!

Sunday, November 14th

2010-11-15T13:17:00.000-08:00

With the beautiful weather this past Sunday, November 14th, it was definitely not feeling like fall at the Hillcrest Farmers Market. The nice weather encouraged the imaginations of visitors at the information booth who used various arts and craft supplies to make terrific creations. From paper cup jelly fist, to paper bag chickens, to pipe cleaner jewelry, arts and crafts were again a huge hit at the market.

Stay updated on upcoming holiday events occurring at the Hillcrest Farmers market by checking HillcrestFarmersMarket.com

2010-11-08T12:03:00.000-08:00

The Hillcrest Farmers Market was back at it with arts and crafts this past Sunday. Creepy crawly bugs overtook the information booth as an abundance of spiders, caterpillars, and butterflies were crafted from popsicle sticks, paper cups, and pipe cleaners. Both children and parents alike took part in the crafting creating small bug-families to take home and play with!

Keep up to date with everything Hillcrest Farmers Market related at hillcrestfarmersmarket.com!

Halloween at the Hillcrest Farmers Market

2010-11-01T13:30:00.000-07:00

Halloween was in full-swing at the Hillcrest Farmers Market this past Sunday. With costumed patrons strolling through the market, the Halloween spirit was felt early.

For those who didn't come decked out in their costumes, the information booth was equipped with resident face-painter, Carlos. Many faces were painted to complement costumes and were intended to be worn later in the evening. Witches, Frankensteins, lions, and other miscellaneous faces were seen walking away from the info booth. While waiting for their faces to be painted, many visitors fashioned a trick-or-treat bag they were able to use in the market-wide trick-or-treat. With a wide variety of vendors participating trick-or-treaters were able to garner treats ranging from the standard Halloween candy, to seed packets, to mini pumpkins.

For everything Hillcrest Farmers Market related be sure to visit www.hillcrestfarmersmarket.com

2010-10-25T13:20:00.000-07:00

Plenty of patrons came out the Hillcrest Farmers Market last Sunday to get their jack-o-lanterns ready for Halloween and to take advantage of the availability of new seasonal veggies that are appearing as the fall and winter months are approaching.

Rey River Farms displayed their pumpkins at the information booth for market-goers to

purchase and then carve for free. Many took advantage of the carving tools provided and the promise of

provided clean-up to carve some elaborate jack-o-lanterns. While some templates were used many pumpkin-artists decided to use their imaginations and free-hand their carvings. There was plenty

of fun and mess to go around and for a few it was their first pumpkin carving experience.

Fall and winter vegetables are making their way into the stalls at the Hillcrest Farmers Market. Suzie's Farm will be offering broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, a variety of beans, kale, and beets. Along with many of the same veggies, J.R. Organics also has winter squash, okra, ornamental pumpkins, tomatoes, black-eyed peas, and a variety of root vegetables on display.

With produce changing often, be sure to visit all of the Hillcrest Farmers Market vendors to get the most this season has to offer!

2010-10-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

The seasons are a-changin' at the Hillcrest Farmers Market which means so are the fruits that vendors can offer. With the summer fruits on the way out, vendors like Sweet Tree Farms, Koral's Tropical Fruit Farm, and Creekside Tropicals will now begin to provide fall and winter season fruits.

Sweet Tree Farms, headed up by Annie, is offering the last of their yellow peach and white nectarine selection but getting excited about new offerings they will stock. Asian pears made their appearance about a month ago while it was the first week for the pink lady apple. Also be sure to look out for the coming of persimmons, pineapple guava, and grapefruits.

Barry Koral with Koral's Tropical Fruit Farm aims to provide Hillcrest Farmers Market patrons with the best information regarding the produce, its nutrition, and preparation. Within the next few weeks Koral's Farm will be offering blood oranges, passion fruits, navel oranges, tangelos, guavas, and three types of persimmons.

Creekside Tropicals offers some of the more unique fruits at the Hillcrest Farmers Market. Dragonfruit (also known as Pitaya) will be available until December. Strawberry guavas (which are a tart version of the Mexican guava) are available and are perfect for salads, dressings, or smoothies. If you would like an unique decorative piece of fruit, Creekside Tropicals also offers Buddah's Hand (pictured) which looks like a cross between a lemon and an octopus.

2010-10-16T19:14:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning at 9am – perfect time for a nice cup of coffee. At the Hillcrest Farmers Market you can find two coffee vendors that can provide you with a delicious cup-o'-joe made just to your specifications.

Divine Madman coffee began as the retirement project of owner RobinSherman. Robin takes a considerable amount of care in her product, roasting apound of coffee at a time and ensuring that all the beans are organic and fair-trade. Divine Madman offers coffee from each of the four coffee regions: Brazil, Asia, Africa, and Central/South America. If you still need some specialization Divine Madman will custom roast beans to your specification. For the brave or experimental, Divine Madman offer Kopi Luwak. What is Kopi Luwak you ask? Well, the coffee berry is a sweet treat for the Palm Civit (a cat-sized mammal) which makes up a large part of their diets. Although the outer part of the coffee cherry is digested, the harder, inner bean is not. These beans are gathered "later" and sold as some of the most expensive coffee. DivineMadman only sample Kopi Luwak at the Hillcrest Farmers Market and it is available to you at the discounted price of $300/lb.

Many San Diegans are familiar with the boxy-orange Joes on the Nose mobile coffee truck. Parked each Sunday at the Hillcrest Farmers Market Joes on the Nose offers patrons a surf-themed, tropical experience. Touted as a “full- beverage service” Joes offers drinks made with organic chocolate and coffee (which is also fair-trade). Joes on the Nose has been with the Hillcrest Farmers Market for almost two years, be sure to stop by in November to wish them a happy Hillcrest Farmers Market birthday!

2010-10-04T11:15:00.000-07:00

The Hillcrest Farmers Market continually strives to provide its patrons with distinctive vendors. Some of the newest vendors show the uniqueness of the Hillcrest Farmers Market with their dedication to being green, healthy, innovative, and homemade.

Treats of Eden brings yummy snacks to the Hillcrest Farmers Market. You can snack on Janice's offerings all you want without the guilt because Treats of Eden's products are vegan, sugar free, gluten free, unprocessed, and raw. To see feedback about their delicioius snacks check out some of the reviews on their Facebook page.

If you're in need of mustard be sure to head over to the SoNo Trading Company booth. With eight homemade mustard varieties and special flavors that pop up around the holidays, all of your taste buds will be pleased. When you visit SoNo be sure to grab a freshly made sandwich comprised of local grass-fed meat, market veggies, and cheese along with a jar of your favorite flavor of mustard.

Mark and Rebecca with Happy Pantry have been on site with their unique offering of pickled and canned items. Happy Pantry offerings will be changing based on product availability and Mark's desire of what to try and can next. In the upcoming weeks be on the lookout for local tuna and Mark's favorite "Mean Beans," which are green beens pickled with dill and cayenne pepper.

If you need something to wash down all the food you've been eating at the Hillcrest Farmers Market, visit Brandon with Earth Water. With 273 dissolvable minerals and an alkaline level of 7.7 Earth Water is some of the best stuff around. Additionally, the water bottle is fully biodegradable and will break down within one to five years.

Be sure to visit these new vendors as well as keep your eyes open for new booths!

2010-09-27T12:01:00.000-07:00

There are a few vendor faces at the Hillcrest Farmers Market that you may not have seen for a while. Some of our seasonal vendors have reappeared are are ready for business!

One of the seasonal vendors back in action is Jarret from Bristol Bay Salmon Company. To the pleasure of many of the market's patrons, Jarret is back from his annual two month salmon fishing excursion with plenty of salmon for us all! Although he's back for awhile be sure to stock up for all your salmon needs because come June Bristol Bay Salmon Company will be off in search of King Salmon and will not be returning until after August when all their stock of Coho Salmon has been caught. To learn more about Bristol Bay Salmon Company (and to get some great recipes) check out their website.

Another exciting seasonal vendor is Tom King Farms owned by Dennis Stowell. He brings some of the freshest and unique products to the Hillcrest Farmers Market. He is currently supplying warm crops, like his famous heirloom tomatoes and a variety of melons. For more information about Dennis and Tom King Farms visit their website.

Finally, Andrea with Morocco Gold Dates has reappeared with her booth stocked full of Medjool Dates. She's present at the Hillcrest Farmers Market September through May so make a date and get your fill!

2010-09-20T14:22:00.000-07:00

Many of our younger Hillcrest Farmers Market patrons were thrilled to see another arts and crafts project offered at the market, where the crafty visitors were welcomed to the information booth to create paper bag puppets. After some initial confusion about the logistics of the puppets, imaginations ran wild and foxes, aliens, bears, and puppet people started coming to life!

Upcoming Events:

September 26th: The Visiting Chef Series welcomes Frankie Terzoli from the Big Easy who will provide a live cooking demonstration in the heart of the market from 1-2pm.

October 3rd: Come meet and discuss the issues with Councilmember Todd Gloria while the information booth hosts Coffee with your Councilmember from 9:30-11:00am.

October 10th: To celebrate Columbus Day, boats will be crafted and "sailed" across the sea!

Be sure to stay current with our upcoming events by checking www.hillcrestfarmersmarket.com

2010-09-13T11:40:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday at the Hillcrest Farmers Market artist Devon Browning created a captivating portrait, encouraging many market-goers to stop and admire her progress. Taking time to converse with aspiring artists who visited the information booth Devon discussed her technique and the inspirations for her pieces. Although the piece was not completed by the end of the Market-day it was off to a beautiful start. When she's not entertaining HIllcrest Farmers Market patrons Devon offers private art lessons. For contact information and to see more of her work visit her website at www.devonbrowning.com.

Make sure you check out www.hillcrestfarmersmarket.com for the next Artist at the Market series as well as all of our upcoming events.

2010-09-08T15:32:00.000-07:00

There were sightings of superheroes, army-men, wild animals, and a few imaginary creatures at the Hillcrest Farmers Market this past Labor Day weekend. With Face Painting by Carlos making a reappearance at the information booth, Sunday, September 5th was a fun and creative day. With an ever-present line Carlos produced a non-stop stream of
Spider Men, butterflies, Iron Men, dinosaurs, jungle animals, and various other portrayals. Many market patrons expressed that the only reason for their visit was to get their faces painted for the holiday!

Look for Carlos in the upcoming weeks at the Hillcrest Farmers Market, until then he is available for parties and other gatherings. Contact the Hillcrest Business Association for more information.

Upcoming Events:

September 12th: Artist at the Market, Devon Browning, will be creating a live-art piece inspired by the Hillcrest Farmers Market from 9am-2pm.

September 19th: Arts & crafts returns with the creation of paper-bag puppets!

Visiting Chef Series at the Hillcrest Farmers Market

2010-09-01T14:38:00.000-07:00

The Visiting Chef Series returned in full force Sunday, August 29th, with Rashida McElve from Edgy Edibles. Seating was limited as the demonstration began on how to make a watermelon and cilantro salad. The audience and passersby were able to taste how a few simple ingredients can make a delicious and refreshing dish.

After the salad-making demonstration was complete, Chef Rashida disclosed to the audience how to sculpt a watermelon basket--perfect for serving the salad she just made.

To learn more about Edgy Edibles or contact Chef Rashida visit www.edgyedibles.com

Upcoming Events:

September 5th: To celebrate the Labor Day weekend the Hillcrest Farmers Market welcomes back Face Painting by Carlos.

September 12th: Artist at the Market, Devon Browning, will be creating a live art piece from 9am-2pm. Stop by to see how the Hillcrest Farmers Market inspires art!

September 19th: Arts & crafts at the market!

2010-08-25T11:51:00.000-07:00

It was HOT at the Hillcrest Farmers Market Sunday, August 22^nd. To combat the heat and make market-goers a bit more comfortable a cool arts and crafts project was offered at the information booth. Fan making was a big hit with visitors of all ages stopping by to create a fan to try and keep the heat at bay. With three types of fans, glue, markers, and glitter the final creations were not only practical but elaborate.

Upcoming Events:

August 29^th: The Visiting Chef Series returns with Rashida McElve from Edgy Edibles who will create a cool watermelon and cilantro salad. Join us in the heart of the market from 1-2pm to watch her demonstration.

September 5^th: The Hillcrest Farmers Market will celebrate the long weekend with Face Painting by Carlos.

September 12^th: Artist at the Market, Devon Browning, will be creating a live art piece inspired by the market at the information booth from 9am-2pm.

2010-08-18T11:43:00.000-07:00

Imaginations always come out in full force at the Hillcrest Farmers Market when arts and crafts are involved! This past Sunday, August 15th, the information booth encouraged visitors to create anything they desired. The day started out with a popsicle-stick plane and ended with coffee-filter butterflies. Monsters, horses, pipe-cleaner flowers, and flies also make appearances as crafts as patrons of all ages paid a visit to the booth.

Upcoming Events:

August 22nd: Arts & crafts at the market. Come and create a cool summer-inspired craft.

August 29th: The Visiting Chef Series returns with Rashida McElve from Edgy Edibles creating a refreshing watermelon and cilantro salad at the heart of the market from 1-2pm.

September 5th: the Hillcrest Farmers Market will celebrate the Labor Day weekend with face painting.

September 12th: Devon Browing will be our next Artist at the Market as she creates a live-art piece from 9am-2pm.

CityFest Celebration at the Hillcrest Farmers Market

2010-08-10T10:19:00.000-07:00

With CityFest 2010 taking place later in the day, the Hillcrest Farmers Market had to do something to get in the Spirit of Hillcrest early! On Sunday, August 8^th, the Hillcrest Farmers Market hosted Judah Buxton from Creative Craze Entertainment. Visitors to the farmers market were able to stop by the information booth and receive amazing balloon creations as well as airbrush tattoos. Plenty of patrons headed over to CityFest with wild balloon hats, flying Spidermans, or festive temporary tattoos.

To see more balloon creations from Creative Craze and contact Judah Buxton

please visit his website.

Upcoming Events:

August 22^nd: Arts & crafts at the market. Come and create a summer-inspired craft.

August 29^th: The Visiting Chef Series returns with Rashida McElve from Edgy Edibles creating a refreshing watermelon and cilantro salad.

September 5^th: The Hillcrest Farmers Market will celebrate the Labor Day weekend with face painting.

September 12^th: Devon Browing will be our next Artist at the Market as she creates a live-art piece throughout the market day.

2010-08-04T11:13:00.000-07:00

"Don't play with your food" is an adage that we've all heard at the dinner table throughout the years. However, on Sunday, August 1st, the Hillcrest Farmers Market encouraged the practice to take place. Visitors to the information booth used a variety of cut fruits and vegetables to create paint prints. The various textures and shapes of the produce gave way to colorful pieces to artwork.

So, next time you come to the Hillcrest Farmers Market be sure to pick up enough fruits and vegetables to eat AND play with!

Upcoming Events:

August 8th: Join us for magic, balloon animals, and airbrush tattoos to prepare for CityFest later in the day.

August 22nd: Arts & Crafts day at the market is back with another summer inspired craft.

August 29th: The Visiting Chef Series returns with Rashida McElve from Edgy Edibles. Join us in the hear of the market from 1-2pm for a live cooking demonstration of a watermelon and cilantro salad.

2010-07-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

Plenty of butterflies were spotted leaving the information booth at the Hillcrest Farmers Market last Sunday, July 15th, although none took flight. It was arts and crafts day at the market where beautiful butterfly crafts were created. With imaginations on overdrive several modifications to the butterflies emerged, from the addition of googly-eyes, to attaching butterflies to popsicle-sticks so they could "fly", to creating dragonflies! Disregarding the water soluble stains the project left behind and the finicky weather it was another great arts and crafts day at the market.

Upcoming Events:

August 8th: Get in the spirit of CityFest early! Join us for magic, balloon animals, and airbrush tattoos to prepare for CityFest later in the day.

August 15th: Another Artist at the Market will be on display at the information booth. Come and see how farmers market inspired jewelry is created.

August 22nd: Arts & Crafts day at the market is back with another summer inspired craft.
August 29th: The Visiting Chef series returns with Rashida McElve from Edgy Edibles. Join us in the heart of the market from 1-2pm for a live cooking demonstration.

2010-07-20T11:34:00.000-07:00

Bubble Bonanza at the Hillcrest Farmers Market this past Sunday, July 11th, was anything but a bust! Although kids were prevalent at the bubble blowing booth, many adults participated in the activity, recapturing some of that childhood excitement and wonderment. It took many participants a while to get their bubble blowing skills honed but most left the information booth, as one of our market patrons commented, certified "Bubble Whisperers."

Throughout the day bubbles of all sizes were seen hovering around the Farmers Market, occasionally popping on unsuspecting heads. The "danger"of bursting bubbles was so prevalent that the area directly in-front of the information booth was deemed a "Splash Zone" where only brave-hearted patrons chose to sit!

Be sure to keep an eye out for our exciting upcoming events!

August 8th: The information booth will be gearing up for CityFest 2010! Stop by to get in the celebratory mood.

August 15th: Our Artist at the Market series returns with jewelry making at the market. Be sure to see how beautiful market inspired charms are created.

August 22nd: Arts & crafts return to the market with a summer inpired theme!

August 29th: The Visiting Chef Series returns with Rashida McElve from Edgy Edibles who will create a delicious dish to share with market patrons.

2010-07-13T09:45:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, July 11th, The Hillcrest Farmers Market celebrated the uniqueness of families alongside the movie, The Kids Are All Right. Through arts and crafts children represented what was special about their own family. With no restrictions on what could be created, there were projects ranging from marker drawings to 3-D popsicle-stick figurines depicting family members.

To spread the word about The Kids Are All Alright, a movie starring Annette Bening, Mark Ruffalo, Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, and Josh Hutcherson, promotional materials were given away to those who signed up for the Fabulous Hillcrest newsletter. If you are interested in viewing the movie, The Kids Are All Right, it will be premiering in Hillcrest at the Landmark Theater on Friday, July 16th.

Upcoming Events:

July 18th: The Hillcrest Farmers Market will be holding a bubble bonanza! Come and experiment with bubbles and see how many, and how big you can get your bubbles.

Fourth of July Face Painting

2010-07-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

The introduction of face painting to the Hillcrest Farmers Market on the Fourth of July was received with great appreciation. Carlos, from "Face Painting by Carlos," painted a steady stream of market patrons of all ages. Along with various Independence Day inspired creations, butterflies, puppy-faces, and a host of wild animals were among the favorite designs.

Because of the warm reception, the Hillcrest Farmers Market hopes to make face painting a regular occurrence at the market.

While not entertaining at the Hillcrest Farmers Market "Face Painting by Carlos" can be hired out for special events and parties. Carlos can be reached at: 858-717-5497

UPCOMING EVENTS:

July 11th: Stop by the information booth for arts & crafts at the market. Let your imagination run wild and create whatever you would like.

July 18th: The information booth will be hosting a bubble extravaganza! Come by and experiment with different bubble-blowing devices to see how many and how big you can make your bubbles.

Hula Hoop Contest at the Market

2010-06-30T11:01:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, June 27th, the Hillcrest Farmers Market held four hula hooping contests. With many adults hesitant to enter, kids dominated the competition winning all four heats. Many of the hoopers were so talented that additional tasks were incorporated into the hula hooping, such as walking and fixing one's hair while hooping! With so much hula hooping skill in one place many a passerby stopped to watch the friendly competition.

Each of the four winners left the market with a gift bag full of Hillcrest Farmers Market goods, including granola, handmade soap, toffee, herbs, a necklace, and a Hillcrest Farmers Market reusable bag.

Upcoming Events

July 4th: Be sure to come out to the Hillcrest Farmers Market on Sunday, July 4th, to get your face painted in red, white, and blue Independence Day inspired designs!

2010-06-23T11:36:00.001-07:00

With Sunday, June 20th being Father's Day, the Hillcrest Farmers Market united with young market-goers to create ties that were to be given to the fathers, uncles, grandfathers, and other wonderful men in their lives. With plenty of glue, tape, sparkles, felt, and fluff balls to create their fantastic Father's Day ties there was fun had by all.And although many young artists did not want to give up their creations, a generous amount of fathers and grandfathers left the Hillcrest Farmers Market on Sunday with their necks adorned by the fashionable gifts.

Upcoming Events:

June 27th: Come out and shake your hips at the Hillcrest Farmers Market! We will be having four hula hoop contests held at 10 am, 11 am, 12 pm, and 1 pm. Winners will receive a prize of handmade soap, granola, necklaces, and other Hillcrest Farmers Market inspired items!

July 4th: To celebrate Independence Day the Hillcrest Farmers Market will be offering free face-painting. Also, be sure to stick around for a BBQ inspired exhibition.

Art Tutorial

2010-06-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

Along with the warm weather, plenty of our younger farmers market patrons came out to the Hillcrest Farmers Market on Sunday, June 13, to participate in art tutorials. Jessica Johnson, a past artist at the market whose work can be seen on her website, instructed children how to draw farmers market inspired artwork. Among the budding child-artists that were in attendance a few "children-at-heart" also did their best to complete the drawings. The farmers market theme was represented by illustrations of ice-cream and flowers and many of the participants decided to turn their pictures into cards dedicated to their fathers for the upcoming holiday.

Upcoming Events:

Father's Day, June 20th: To celebrate Father's Day Hillcrest Farmers Market patrons are invited to come fashion a tie to give to their dad. Be sure to come join the fun at the information booth.

June 27th: Join us for another contest at the Market. We will be having four hula hoop contests held at 10am, 11am, 12pm, and 1pm. Winners will receive a Hillcrest Farmers Market inspired gift bag.

Bike to the Market Day

2010-06-09T10:44:00.000-07:00

The Hillcrest Farmers Market held its first Bike to the Market Day on Sunday with the help of Ritchie from Adams Avenue Bicycles. Market goers were able to park their bikes in a safe place at the market and also receive free tune-ups! Some dedicated bikers were able to get insight on how to fix their bike’s more serious problems with the help of Adams Avenue Bicycles. The hot day on Sunday was perfect for riding to the market. If you weren’t able to take advantage of this Bike to the Market Day, be sure to check back here or on our website for the next biking event!

Upcoming Events:
June 13th: Join us for Art and Games Day at the Hillcrest Farmers Market. There will be a hands-on farmers market inspired art tutorial at the information booth with past artist at the market participant Jessica Johnson. We will also have some fun board games which will be set up for market patrons to play.

Father's Day, June 20: We'll be creating neckties for dad using a variety of fun decorations! Come join us at the information booth to make your wearable work of art a gift for dad.

The Watermelon Eating Contest

2010-06-01T12:07:00.000-07:00

This Sunday in honor of Memorial Day weekend, we hosted four watermelon eating contests, one each hour throughout the duration of the market. A variety of ages competed against one another and ate approximately a quarter of a watermelon each in an effort to win a Hillcrest Farmers Market gift bag and the coveted title of “Hillcrest’s Watermelon Eating Champion”!

Art at the Market with Aimee Jo!

2010-06-01T11:51:00.000-07:00

Despite the extremely windy weather on May 23, local artist Aimee Jo set up a beautiful display of her artwork at the Information Booth. She worked tirelessly on her masterpiece throughout the day and although it was not quite finished, it was already looking great. Aimee even let one of the kids who stopped to watch her help paint (see picture)! Aimee will be leading painting lessons at a kid’s camp through the Doyle Recreation Center on Nobel Drive in La Jolla this summer. Visit her website at ArtalaAimeeJo.c om for contact information or to see more of her remarkable paintings.

The Visiting Chef Series and other exciting upcoming events!

2010-05-19T14:45:00.000-07:00

At our most recent Visiting Chef Series, market vendor Chef Woods of The Black Thai was featured. He cooked up a delicious Pad Thai as well as a simple recipe for chicken stir fry. The audience was able to taste his fresh Thai creations and everyone agreed that they were delicious!

Save the Dates:

Join us this Sunday at the Information Booth for another Artist at the Market! This event will feature local artist Aimee Jo who will be painting a live Hillcrest inspired masterpiece.

On May 30th, Hillcrest Farmers Market shoppers can enter our watermelon eating contest which will take place every hour on the hour (10am-1pm) at the Information Booth! Compete for a chance to win a Fabulous Hillcrest prize!

On June 6th the Hillcrest Farmers Market is recognizing environmentally conscious market patrons by providing bike racks! The information booth is teaming up with Adams Avenue Bicycles who will be hosting a free bike valet and a free tune-up.

May is full of fun events!

2010-05-11T15:19:00.000-07:00

Timothy Latham provided the Hillcrest Farmers Market with fascinating entertainment on Sunday, May 2^nd. His portrait display and live demonstration were admired by thousands of market patrons who stopped to view his work. Despite the cloudy weather on Mother’s Day the flower potting activity was eventful and spirited! Children as well as adults were able to decorate their own pots and plant a flower in it as a gift for mom.

Although the Artist at the Market as well as Mother’s Day arts and crafts events have passed, we have many more exciting events in May to look forward to.

May 16^th: From 1pm-2pm is the always popular Visiting Chef Series. This month’s chef is market vendor, Chef Woods of The Black Thai. Be sure to check out his live demonstration this Sunday to learn some cooking tips and enjoy some tasty samples!

May 23^rd: Aimee Jo will create a live Hillcrest inspired masterpiece as our featured Artist at the Market all day at the Information Booth.

May 30^th: Don’t miss the watermelon eating contest every hour on the hour from 10am-1pm! To sign-up visit us at the information booth on any Sunday leading up to the event.

Hillcrest Farmers Market featured on the Food Network

2010-04-27T15:50:00.001-07:00

The Food Network’s new competition series (air date TBD) started their filming in San Diego this weekend. One of the seven locations they were filming included our farmers market! The Nom Nom Truck, also known as the Nominator, was stationed in the Hillcrest DMV parking lot next to Joe’s on the Nose for the majority of the day. Their goal was to sell more of their product than any of the other mobile food businesses in the competition. The vehicle that sold the least amount of food would be eliminated from the competition. The Nom Nom truck served up a delicious banh mi, or Vietnamese sandwich, to farmers market customers. This type of sandwich is served on a baguette and made up of thinly sliced pickled carrots and daikon, cucumbers, cilantro, chili peppers, mayonnaise, and various meat fillings or tofu. The Food Network will continue filming in various locations throughout the United States with its final destination in Manhattan, New York for the competitions finale.

Don't forget to stop by the market for our Artist at the Market event featuring Tim Latham. He will be creating a Hillcrest inspired masterpiece at the information booth!

The Visiting Chef Series featuring Kosta Houdalakis

2010-04-21T16:31:00.000-07:00

The Visiting Chef Series on Sunday was yet another successful event for the Hillcrest Farmers Market. Kosta's (of Lisko Imports) vivacious personality intrigued market attendees as they stopped to watch our fourth chef in the series. Audience members and people passing by could smell the mushroom risotto as it sizzled in Kosta’s pan. He asked volunteers to help him stir the risotto as he worked on the bruschetta. The audience agreed, after sampling his tasty treats, that each of these recipes were equally delicious! Kosta will have the printed recipes available at his booth this Sunday for anyone who wishes to try them out at home. Stay tuned for details on our next visiting chef by going to our website or by checking this blog.

Save the dates:

Artist at the Market- On May 2^nd, featuring local artist Tim Latham who will be doing a live art demonstration inspired by Hillcrest.

Arts and Crafts- On May 9^th, in celebration of Mother’s Day, miniature pots and flowers will be provided for a flower potting bonanza!

Artist at the Market with Jessica Johnson

2010-04-13T15:47:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday at the Hillcrest Farmers Market, local artist Jessica Johnson painted a beautiful interpretation of Alice in Wonderland. Many market attendees stopped at the information booth to admire her work and ask questions regarding her inspirations. Beginning in May, Jessica will be showing her work at an Alice in Wonderland themed art event in Ocean Beach. To see more of Jessica’s artwork and photography, you can visit her website.

Save the date for the Visiting Chef Series this Sunday from 1pm-2pm at the Hillcrest Farmers Market! Come watch market vendor Kosta from Lisko Imports prepare simple bruschetta and risotto recipes. Be sure to stick around for samples!

Easter at the Market

2010-04-07T13:56:00.001-07:00

Easter Sunday at the Hillcrest Farmers Market was full of lively market patrons wandering the aisles with their colorful bouquets and fresh produce. The warm weather was perfect for our Easter arts and crafts event. Kids of all ages came to the Information Booth to decorate their own Easter bunny masks with a variety of festive adornments. While some chose make simple masks, others glued just about every decoration they could find to their art project! This event provided the market with some great entertainment for the whole family. Don’t miss our next crafting event on May, 9^th for Mother’s Day as we get our hands dirty for a gardening celebration of motherhood. Miniature pots and flowers will be provided for a flower potting bonanza!
Save the date for the next Visiting Chef Series! On April 18^th from 1pm-2pm, market vendor Kosta Houdalakis of Lisko Imports will be using farmer’s market products to demonstrate how to create a simple bruschetta as well as delicious risotto.