Great vibes and food are live and well over at the Hollywood Farmers Market, located in the Grocery Outlet parking lot off 44th Avenue and Hancock Street in Portland. With more than 50 different rotating vendors from bakeries to cocktail syrups, Hollywood Farmers Market is sure to have a vendor that is right up your alley. 

The Clackamas Print took a visit on an overcast Saturday, the promise of rain trickling over each vendor’s tarps. The sun was peeking from the soft clouds, emitting small rays of light that peered over the plaza. It was early in the morning, so a significant crowd had not yet gathered.

The Hollywood Farmers Market, located in the Grocery Outlet parking lot off 44th Avenue and Hancock Street in Portland. Photo by Diego Garcia.

The Hollywood Farmers Market was created in 1997, when a group of neighbors in the Portland area sat down to create the market that we all know and love to this day. They established the market in May of that year with 10 vendors in the Washington Mutual parking lot in Oregon City. In 2000, the Hollywood Market moved to Portland, and that is where it is to this day.

The community around the Hollywood Farmers Market is a sight to see. Every vendor greets customers with a smile, welcoming them to their unique selections of what they are selling.

“There is so much variety around the lot that I sometimes spend plenty of hours here, and lots of money,” said customer Nicole Cordova. “Sometimes a little too much.”

Daddy’s Cocktail Syrups was the most unique shop of the day, selling small bottles of cocktail syrups. They use organic cane sugar and fresh citrus juice for these unique cocktail bottles, the best selling syrup being their ginger syrup. They also have an option to order a quarterly or yearly subscription box which contains two bottles of seasonal cocktail mixers.  Daddy’s Cocktail Syrups joined the market in 2022 and visits every other week year round.

Tabor Bread Bakehouse had the busiest line in the market. Tabor Bread incorporates sourdough in all of their breads. Their go-to recommendation is their “Mountain Bread” which is a mix of multiple herbs, cheese, olives and tomatoes to create a hearty blend of flavor that, when toasted, is perfectly paired with olive oil and vinegar. Tabor Bread has been a vendor for the Hollywood Farmers Market since 2015 and visits the market year round.

The Hollywood Farmers Market’s mission statement is, “to celebrate the bounty of Oregon and Washington agriculture through the operation of a community-based farmers market and other ventures that support small farmers and healthy urban neighborhoods.”

The clouds kept their guard over the morning sun until the eventual end of the market. The rain had stayed at the normal trickling pace, creating a nice calm environment. 

Wilson Larios, a resident in the Oregon City area, was disappointed with the lack of live music present at the market

“I was here a year ago and there was live music. It’s kind of a bummer,” Larios said. “Music helps make the vibe better in my opinion, but this is still a nice environment for me.”

There weren’t any musical performers in February because the Hollywood Market plans their music calendar for April to November. The usual genres of performers include folk, bluegrass, rock and roll, jazz, and country. If you are interested in performing at the Hollywood Market, contact volunteers@hollywoodfarmersmarket.org for more information.

There is nothing better than an accepting community of local vendors like at the Hollywood Farmers Market. The market only comes twice a month on the first and third of every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The selection of vendors changes every event, so be sure to check the Hollywood Farmers Market Website to see who all will be there. Mark your calendars to explore this fun community of local vendors!