Winter Farmers Markets Near Phoenix 55+ Areas

The winter farmers markets I can confirm near Phoenix-area 55+ communities run on set days: Saturdays in Downtown Chandler, Gilbert, Eastmark and Glendale, Sundays in Waddell, and every other Wednesday at the Sun City Festival market in Buckeye. Each day, place and season below comes from the market's own page.

See 55+ homes for sale Call Terry: 602-483-4665

Winter is farmers market season in the Valley. Many markets that slow down or move indoors in summer run full outdoor hours from October into spring, which lines up with snowbird season. I am Terry Day with DeLex Realty, and a market morning is one of the easiest ways I know for newcomers to get a feel for a part of town. If you want, we can pair it with a few showings the same day.

One caution up front: directories and old news stories are full of markets that have moved, changed days or closed. For this list, I only kept markets whose own organizer page (or a city page) confirmed the day, the location and the season. Hours are listed only where the official page shows them.

West Valley winter farmers markets

Sun City Festival Farmers Market (Buckeye). The organizer, Get Local Arizona, lists this market at the Saguaro Recreation Center on West Morrow Drive in Buckeye. It meets every other Wednesday. From October through April it is outdoors from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and from May through September it moves indoors from 9 to 11 a.m. The page says the market is open to the public with free admission and that vendors change from market to market. If you are looking at homes there, my Sun City Festival homes page is a good place to start.

Waddell Farmers Market. Get Local Arizona also runs a Sunday market at American Leadership Academy, 17608 W. Olive Avenue, Waddell. The organizer's pages list it weekly on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., October through April, closed Christmas and Easter. That makes it a winter-only market, which suits a seasonal visit.

Arrowhead Farmers Market (Glendale). This Saturday market is no longer at Arrowhead Towne Center. The organizer's page now lists it at Dream City Church Glendale, 21000 N. 75th Avenue, near 75th Avenue and the 101. It runs every Saturday year-round, with October through April hours of 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and May through September hours of 8 to 11 a.m. If you read an older article that sends you to the mall, that is out of date.

If you are comparing Sun City West, Sun City Grand and the other West Valley communities, my moving to Sun City West guide and Sun City Grand homes page cover daily life beyond market day.

East Valley winter farmers markets

Downtown Chandler Farmers Market. Downtown Chandler's market page lists the market at Dr. A.J. Chandler Park, West and East Ramadas, 3 S. Arizona Avenue, Chandler. It runs Saturdays. From October through May the hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and from June through September they shift to 7 to 11 a.m. Buyers looking at Solera Chandler or Sun Lakes often ask about downtown Chandler, and this is an easy Saturday introduction.

Gilbert Farmers Market. This one moved. The market's own site says it left the Downtown Gilbert Park and Ride after 15 years and moved on October 4, 2025 to Chandler-Gilbert Community College, 2626 E. Pecos Road, Chandler. Winter hours (October through April) are Saturdays 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Summer hours (May through September) are Saturdays 7 to 11 a.m. If someone tells you to look for it in the Heritage District, point them to the new campus location. For nearby 55+ homes, see my Trilogy at Power Ranch page.

Eastmark Farmers Market (Mesa). The market's site lists it at 5100 S. Eastmark Parkway, Mesa, open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. The City of Mesa calendar lists the same address at Eastmark Great Park and describes it as a year-round Saturday market, with summer dates running 7 to 11 a.m. It sits in the same master-planned community as Encore at Eastmark, so it is a natural stop if you are touring there.

Central Phoenix: Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market

Downtown Phoenix Inc. lists the Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market at Arizona Center, 455 N. 3rd Street, Phoenix. It runs Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the page describes it as year-round with free admission. The organizer's calendar shows Saturday dates running through the winter. This is not next door to either valley's 55+ communities, but it is a good Saturday if you also want to see downtown.

Markets I left off, and why

I would rather leave a market off than send you to an empty parking lot. These did not make the list this time:

• Surprise: One Surprise market site lists Saturday mornings at Ottawa University but shows only 2024 dates. A second Surprise market site says it is closed until next season. I could not confirm a current schedule.
• Downtown Mesa: I could not load the market's own site, and the Downtown Mesa pages I found showed only past dates.
• Sun City and Verrado: I found listings, but no organizer page that confirmed the current day and season.
• Roadrunner Park (Phoenix): The organizer lists winter hours, but its page did not give the address, and it is not near the 55+ areas this list covers.

If you have a favorite market that is not here, open the organizer's own site and check the current season before you go. City "shop local" lists and directories go stale quickly.

Pairing a market morning with a home search

1. Check the market's page the night before. Holiday closures are not always posted early.
2. Pick your communities first, then the market on that side of town.
3. Call me at 602-483-4665 with the market and the communities you want to see. I will schedule showings after the market.
4. If you are comparing East Valley and West Valley 55+ communities, try one side of town per weekend rather than rushing both in one day.

For more ideas on filling a winter visit, see my snowbird events calendar. For the bigger picture on communities, my Arizona 55+ living hub and 55+ community finder are good next steps. Most of the communities mentioned here are age-restricted, and the occupancy rules are set in each community's CC&Rs.

Questions buyers ask

Which winter farmers markets near the West Valley 55+ communities are on this list?
Sun City Festival Farmers Market in Buckeye (every other Wednesday), Waddell Farmers Market (Sundays, October through April) and Arrowhead Farmers Market in Glendale (Saturdays, year-round). Each schedule comes from the organizer's own pages.

Which East Valley markets are on the list?
Downtown Chandler Farmers Market, Gilbert Farmers Market (now at Chandler-Gilbert Community College) and Eastmark Farmers Market in Mesa. All three list Saturday markets on their own pages.

Is the Sun City Festival Farmers Market open to the public?
The organizer's page says it is open to the public with free admission. It meets at the Saguaro Recreation Center in Buckeye every other Wednesday, outdoors October through April.

Why is the Surprise market not on the list?
Two websites for Surprise farmers markets gave conflicting information, and one said the market was closed until next season. I could not confirm a current day and season, so I left it off.

Can I tour homes the same day I visit a market?
Yes. Tell me which market and which communities you want to see, and I will plan showings around it. Call 602-483-4665.