The Original Farmers Market is an area of food stalls, sit-down eateries, prepared food vendors, and produce markets in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, at the corner of Fairfax Avenue and 3rd Street. First opened in July 1934, it is also a historic Los Angeles

landmark A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances. In modern use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures or f ...

and tourist attraction. The Original Farmers Market features more than 100 vendors, including ready-to-eat foods, grocers, and tourist shops, and is located just south of Television City. Unlike most farmers' markets, which are held only at intervals, The Original Farmers' Market of Los Angeles is a permanent installation and is open seven days a week. The vendors serve many kinds of food, both American cuisine from local farmers and local ethnic foods from the many immigrant communities of Los Angeles, with many

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...

n and

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

n cuisines well represented. It is located at the corner of 3rd Street and Fairfax Avenue in the Fairfax District of

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. It is adjacent to The Grove outdoor

shopping mall A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a North American term for a large indoor shopping center, usually anchored by department stores. The term "mall" originally meant a pedestrian promenade with shops along it (that is, the term was used to refe ...

; an electric-powered streetcar runs between the two sites. The market is a destination for foodies in search of the market's ethnic cuisines, specialty food markets, and prepared-food stalls. A sign that reads "Meet Me at Third and Fairfax" displays at the front of The Original Farmers Market. File:FM Neon Sign.jpg, The Original Farmers Market Sign File:L.A._Farmers_Market-people-environmentL.A._Farmers_Market-people-environment-000052.jpg, Bob's Donuts

History

The origins of the market started in 1880, when Arthur Fremont Gilmore and his partner, who had come from

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

, bought two dairy farms in the Los Angeles area. Gilmore bought what is now called The Original Farmers Market, and his partner bought the land plot nowadays known as The Grove. Ten years later the partners decided to split their holdings and Gilmore took control of the large 256-acre ranch, its dairy herd, and farmhands at what is now the world-famous Original Farmers Market and Grove. The market started when a dozen nearby farmers began to park their trucks on a field to sell fresh produce to local residents. The cost to rent the space was fifty cents per day.

Gilmore Oil Company The Gilmore Oil Company was an independent oil company in California which was founded by Arthur Fremont Gilmore after he struck oil on his dairy farm in the Fairfax district of Los Angeles around 1903. His son, Earl Bell Gilmore, took over the ...

replaced the dairy farm when oil was discovered under the land while drilling for water wells in 1905; this became the Salt Lake Oil Field. Earl Bell (E. B.) Gilmore, son of A. F. Gilmore, took over the family business. The younger Gilmore started midget car racing and brought professional football to Los Angeles. He built

Gilmore Field Gilmore Field was a minor league baseball park in Los Angeles, California, that served as home to the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League from 1939–57 when they, along with their intra-city rivals, the Los Angeles Angels, were displac ...

for the Hollywood Stars baseball team, which was owned by

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

Barbara Stanwyck Barbara Stanwyck (; born Ruby Catherine Stevens; July 16, 1907 – January 20, 1990) was an American actress, model and dancer. A stage, film, and television star, during her 60-year professional career she was known for her strong, realistic sc ...

, and

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cinem ...

. File:Gilmore Oil company 2.jpg, Gilmore Oil Co. gasoline station File:Gilmore Gas.jpg, Gilmore Oil Co. gasoline station in the 1900s When Television City opened next door in 1952, The Original Farmers Market provided those working or visiting that

television studio A television studio, also called a television production studio, is an installation room in which video productions take place, either for the production of live television and its recording onto video tape or other media such as SSDs, or for t ...

a convenient place to shop or eat. In the 1970s

The Country Kitchen ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in En ...

, a restaurant owned and operated by Jack and Eileen Smith (located next to the still-operating Du-par's), was popular with stars and their fans alike.

Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the ...

could sometimes be found working behind the counter. In the early 1990s a major renovation, expansion, and master plan was devised for the Market by

Koning Eizenberg Architecture, Inc. Koning Eizenberg Architecture (KEA) is an architecture firm located in Santa Monica, California established in 1981. The firm is recognized for a range of project types including: adaptive reuse of historic buildings, educational facilities, comm ...

The project was initiated to provide new retail, office, and services spaces and reconfigure circulation and parking for the historic site.

In popular culture

The 1971 Beach Boys song "

H.E.L.P. Is On the Way "H.E.L.P. Is On the Way" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys that was recorded during the making of their 1971 album '' Surf's Up''. It was written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love about H.E.L.P., a Los Angeles restaurant that the band had ...

" indirectly refers to The Original Farmers Market in its lyrics: "''We ate tonight at Fairfax and 3rd
''(Fairfax and 3rd)''
''We're gonna spread the news and give you the word''." The song served to promote songwriter

Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often called a genius for his novel approaches to pop composition, extraordinary musical aptitude, and m ...

's own health food store,

Radiant Radish The Radiant Radish was a health food store located at the corner of Melrose Avenue and San Vicente Boulevard in West Hollywood, California, from 1969 to 1971. It was managed by Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, his cousin Steve Korthoff, and fri ...

.Richmond, Akasha (2006). ''Hollywood Dish: More Than 150 Delicious, Healthy Recipes from Hollywood's Chef to the Stars''. Penguin. p. 70. .

References

External links

*
National Farmers Market Association
{{Shopping malls in California Commercial buildings in Los Angeles

Shopping malls on the Westside, Los Angeles Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments Fairfax, Los Angeles 1934 establishments in California Food halls Market halls Food retailers

History

In popular culture

See also

References

External links