The Noe Valley Farmers Market has been running since 2003, when the neighborhood's local natural foods store closed unexpectedly and residents organized a volunteer-run market as a direct replacement. It is operated primarily by volunteers from the neighborhood — one of the few SF markets with that structure. The market is centered on Noe Valley Town Square, a small plaza on 24th Street with a playground, which gives it a distinctly family neighborhood character.
With about 15 vendors, it is one of SF's smaller markets, but regulars prize it for its walkability and community feel. One of its notable vendor relationships is with Drewes Bros. Meats — at 3 blocks from the market, California's oldest operating butcher shop (est. 1889) — whose presence gives the market a dimension of local food history that most markets can't claim. Live music runs most Saturdays.