With year-round sunny weather and vibrant culture, San Diego is home to various outdoor artisan markets. These markets are a great way to explore different neighborhoods and support local artists, makers, and entrepreneurs. San Diego’s most lively open-air markets can be found in the heart of the Barrio Logan, an artistic and culinary hub with a thriving Chicano identity. Its resilient character is reflected in the different events and markets it holds throughout the year, including its recurring Walk the Block market.
Walk the Block, a community initiative created in 2020, supports Barrio Logan‘s businesses. Every Saturday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., the neighborhood’s main street, Logan Ave., comes alive. Shops open their doors and street vendors set up outdoor to the beats of DJs and live music. The market also helps support block cleanups, murals, and beautification projects.
Start off at Chicano Park, Barrio Logan’s cultural center, and home to the most extensive collection of Chicano murals in the world. Walk past the colorful pillars and walls depicting the neighborhood’s struggles and strengths to discover a street filled with creative entrepreneurs, activists, and artists. You will find diverse shops, pop-up vendors, delicious restaurants, street food, music, and art in a dynamic atmosphere. The following are some of the shops and vendors to discover:
Shops
Get your shop on at the diverse businesses lining Logan Ave.; the majority are Latinx women-owned. Find unique brass earrings and jewelry, plus tinctures, teas, and candles at Luna Bloom Shop. Take home a one-of-a-kind garment sewn with upcycled materials by Chicana fashion designer Claudia Biezunski-Rodriguez at her Sew Loka studio. Looking to update your beach wardrobe? Hola Swim has you covered with its exclusive swimsuit collection. Steps away, Miss Loverling is a whimsical shop with unique art, jewelry, and interesting characters. Make a stop at Simón Limón, a colorful boutique specializing in handmade goods by local independent artists.
Food
Barrio Logan is known among locals for its delicious eats. Favorites include Salud!‘s sough-after tacos and micheladas. Craving homestyle Mexican food? Indulge in El Carrito Restaurant‘s cuisine prepared in an old cable car from the 1930s. A block away, Ciccia Osteria serves freshly made Italian fare in a beautiful al fresco patio. Quench your thirst with one of Border X Brewing‘s Mexican-inspired brews. Grab healthy snacks at Maxa Market, a shop specializing in imported and local guilt-free Mexican products. And a Barrio Logan visit is not complete without a stop at Por Vida coffeehouse for its signature Horchata latte.
Food Vendors
Walk the Block street food vendors add traditional and innovative flavors to the mix. Pick up spicy treats like chamoy (a salty, sweet, and sour spiced paste) covered gummy worms at Cultura Rim Paste. Try Hija del Maiz’s freshly baked vegetarian and vegan gourmet pastries like the matcha, lavender, or Neapolitan conchitas. Talking about vegan eats, arrive early for Casa de Luz‘s vegan tacos, menudo, and pozole; they sell out fast. Accompany your food with Aguas Cali Fresca’s assortment of fruit drinks with flavors like watermelon, bananatella and tamarind.
Pop-up Vendors
The Walk the Block market is the place to shop for treasures you will not find anywhere else. You can discover everything from piñatas and home décor to artworks and pet outfits. For unique cultural apparel, look for The Movement‘s shirts, sweaters, and accessories. Get a tarot reading or customized crystal jewelry at The Mountain Druidess booth. Don’t forget your plant babies; gift them new beautiful talavera and ceramic pots from Raices Artesano.
Mujeres Farmers Market
A few blocks from Chicano Park, Mujeres Brew House, a women-owned brewery, shares space with one of San Diego’s most important art hubs, Bread & Salt. The brewery was created as a space dedicated to empowering women interested in the art of craft beer. Taking advantage of spacious outdoor and parking areas, Mujeres Brew House organizes weekend outdoors events and markets. These markets vary in themes and vendors but not in purpose: to support local creators. Check Mujeres Brew House’s Instagram for information on rotating event dates and merchants.