The Haggin Oaks Farmer’s Market is where the Bakersfield community can come together to support local vendors and spend their Sundays. The market is open every Sunday from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the Ming Ave Kaiser Permanente parking lot. Every Sunday, vendors will come and set up in the early morning to bring delicious food, drinks or produce to the community.
The environment is family-friendly, with children running around the market and groovy music playing in the background. It feels just like you are hanging out with your family at a Sunday barbecue. All the vendors are polite, inviting, charismatic, and seem to look forward to selling their products and are grateful to interact with the people.
Kathleen Armstrong, owner of KR Farms in Bakersfield, is a business specializing in flower production that gives a touching view of the farmers market. Armstrong spoke about how grateful she is to have the opportunity to share the beauty of her products.
She began attending the farmers market in 2019 and was enchanted by the “tightness of the community.”
The set-up of her flower booth is overflowing with colorful, vibrant and youthful flowers. Armstrong has seasonal flowers like ranunculuses, snapdragons and a gorgeous variety of tulips currently in season.
“Come out and support your local businesses, coming to the farmers market is a great way to do that,” said Armstrong. “We put in a lot of work and effort, and we love seeing you guys all out here.”
La Margherita is a pizza spot that comes every Sunday to the Bakersfield farmer’s market. Owner Eduardo Zepeda began his business four years ago in 2022 at the farmers market in downtown Bakersfield.
Zepeda said that the farmer’s market has created a sense of community in Bakersfield, especially because it gives people an opportunity to buy farm table items from local farmers.
Zepeda calls the community at the Bakersfield farmers market “a little family away from home,” with his customers overflowing his truck throughout the whole day.
TeaLucky was a business started by chance by Isias, “Chai,” Saavedra. He started making his own tea in 2009 after accidentally stumbling into the business. He worked under a tea company curating his own teas, but when he was told he could not make a commission from them, he left, creating the start of TeaLucky in 2019.
They travel from Los Angeles to vendor at the Bakersfield farmer’s market and find this community unlike any other they have seen. He now continues his brand with his wife, Scarlett, hoping to share his love for tea with the community of Bakersfield.
In his booth, Zepeda always lets people try his teas, as he knows that, in the United States, anything tea related is usually accounted with medicine. It has a more holistic and herbal standpoint that some people may think is not enjoyable, but he wishes to change people’s perspectives on tea in a country that is mainly for coffee drinkers.
“Our motto is love and action, everything we do, we do with love,” said Zepeda. “So, we try to give whatever we have in our hearts to the people. In this case…We show it with tea.”
Vanessa and Eddie Hurtado, two farmer’s market first-timers and new residents to Bakersfield, come all the way from Tracey, CA, but moved here a couple of years ago. They love to see the local people and shops.
Since they have started going to the Haggin Oaks farmers market, they have already noticed a bigger sense of community than in their hometown.
Vanessa says she enjoys seeing “the community getting together” the most about the farmer’s market.
Together, they enjoy seeing the plants, trying the fresh fruit and honey shops and, overall, supporting their newly found local vendors. Rain or shine, you can expect to be surrounded by such wonderful people who are actively feeding their community with fresh produce and warm-hearted interactions. From flowers to tea, there is something for everyone at the Haggin Oaks Farmer’s Market.
