Bring the Kids to Sunday's Stonestown Farmer's Market

On Sunday mornings you can lounge around in your pj’s, cooking up pancakes and bacon, or you can get the kids going early and head out to the Stonestown Galleria near San Francisco State, in the Lakeside District of San Francisco. No, you’re not headed to the mall, but to the Macy’s parking lot where a small but appealing Farmer’s Market is taking root.  Stonestown can feel like it got lost in time, but the Sunday market breathes new life into the surroundings.

Named the most family-friendly Farmer’s Market for 2010 by the SF Weekly, this new gem has been open for a year. There’s ample parking, no hills to climb and rotating attractions such as bouncy houses, a balloon lady and live music. You can buy a booklet of tickets for the bounce houses if you plan on making it a regular Sunday outing. Seasonal activities such as pumpkin decorating add to the appeal.

Be sure you don’t fill up on all the vendor samples, because dining delicacies await. Gourmet drip coffee, dumplings, kebabs, soul food, gumbo and darling mini cupcakes are for sale on any given Sunday, but the scent that permeates the air is that of Belgian Waffles, made to order. Order one plain with a dusting of sugar or smothered in Nutella!

Fish, flowers and a Farmers’ Market staple of kettle corn can also be had. Tables are set up near the live music and kids often spontaneously groove to whatever style of music is playing.

The hours of the market are from 9-1, and there’s a Wells Fargo bank conveniently located on the corner. Public transportation is near by and it makes a great stopover before a trip to the San Francisco Zoo or Stern Grove.

—Darya Mead