This weekend started off a bit differently with chilly autumn weather finally reaching Southern California. With the temperatures cooling down, I thought there is no better way to embrace a cozy weekend and change the routine by visiting one of the well-known farmers markets in Irvine.

The Irvine Saturday Market at Mariners Church is considered one of the premier farmers markets in Orange County. It is open every Saturday until noon and attracts plenty of local residents.

By the time we arrived the market was already buzzing with lively community atmosphere; and since it was Halloween weekend, a few shoppers and locals were dressed in themed costumes, which with no doubt added an additional sparkle of joy.

The market offers a great variety of products ranging from seasonal fruits and berries to root vegetables, leafy greens and microgreens. A few stations were assigned to specialty growers such as Long Beach Mushrooms, where I grabbed pink oysters, and some displayed local raw honey with the famous beeswax candles.

We then took a moment to slow down and enjoy some freshly baked pastries with the live country music in the background as the market started to wrap up.

If you have not yet checked out the Saturday market at Mariners Church, I would recommend you add it to your weekend plans, as it was such a great kick-off to my recent weekend.

Here are other certified farmers markets to visit during your week:
Irvine Certified Farmers Market (Stonegate) opens on Sundays 10 a.m.–2 p.m
Kaiser Permanente Irvine Farmers Market opens on Wednesdays 9 a.m.–2 p.m

— Liza Miroshnichenko, account executive