Helen Albert Certified Farmers’ Market

Plummer Park North Parking Lot
1200 N. Vista Street, West Hollywood
Mondays
9:00am – 2:00pm

You can’t go wrong at a farmers market located right in a park. This Monday market in West Hollywood is hopping even for a weekday. That’s a testament to its worth, and the strength of the community around it. Plummer Park in West Hollywood offers a play structure, playground and lots of open space for your kids to enjoy before or after the shopping!

West Los Angeles Farmer’s Market

Corner of Purdue Avenue at Santa Monica Blvd.
Sundays
9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
(310) 281-7855

You’ll have forty-five vendors to browse through at this West Los Angeles Farmers Market, and your kids will have ponies and trains. A children’s craft table will bring out her inner artist. Each week a family band show entertains with live music.

Pasadena Farmers Market (Victory Park)

North Sierra Madre Boulevard and Paloma Street
Saturdays
8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
(626) 449-0179

Do double duty on Saturday mornings at this market that is adjacent to Victory Park and two playgrounds for the kids. When you are ready for some serious shopping, musician King Swami will entertain the kids with his drums, rice shakers and various other musical instruments. You can start teaching your kids the benefits of conservation by sharing a little tidbit that King Swami carries all those instruments to the market while traveling on the bus! Now that’s an example all Los Angelenos can strive to emulate!

Santa Monica Main Street Farmers’ Market

2640 Main Street, Santa Monica
Sundays
9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
(310) 391-9996
Website

Everyone knows about the Saturday morning Santa Monica Farmers Market on Arizona Ave. and 3rd Street. Going on 20 years in the community, it’s a stalwart of family weekend destinations. Head a little south on a Sunday morning though and you’ll find the Santa Monica Farmers Market on Main Street, a vibrant non-agricultural section also thrives. Of the four farmer’s markets offered in Santa Monica, this is the only one that also features booths serving breakfast, lunch and tea. In addition to live music, the lineup of which you can find on the website, a wide variety of activities for children abound, including arts and crafts, face painting and pony rides.

Studio City Farmer’s Market

Ventura Place, between Ventura and Laurel Canyon Boulevards
Sundays
8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
(818) 655-7744
Website

The Studio City Farmer’s Market’s reputation as a kid-friendly place precedes itself. The reigning kid-friendly market by Los Angeles Magazine’s “best of” issue, there is something for everyone here. Animals, both of the balloon kind and the real kind for petting are in abundance. Train and pony rides, face painting and arts and crafts will keep your little one entertained and contained. Snow cones and live music make this market a cool summer destination for the whole family.

Hollywood Farmer’s Market

Ivar between Sunset Blvd. and Hollywood Blvd.
Sundays
8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
(323) 463-3171

The most fun part of this market for the really big kids is the more than 20 different musicians entertaining the crowds on any given Sunday. This is the heart of Hollywood after all, and with no permits necessary for musicians, the market is a virtual hotbed of talent. This is not to say that the music is strictly for the big people set; a market regular on the corner of Selma Ave. and Cosmo St. is a pied piper for little ones every week with his infectious drumming and encouraging audience participation. His medley of other musical instruments is free for the borrowing and playing. Free balloons at the info booth, and a balloon artist in the central area will make your favorite animal to order. An arts and crafts table is farmers market-appropriate, teaching kids to design a farm or garden out of found objects, eco friendly play dough and finger paints.

Beverly Hills Farmer’s Market

9300 Block of Civic Center Drive, Beverly Hills, 90210
Sundays
9 a.m. – 1 p.m. (rain or shine)
(310) 285-6830

More than 60 farmers and vendors offer California-grown, fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables every week. Also find specialty prepared foods that can be enjoyed at the market or taken home such as gourmet tamales, french crepes, salads and a lot more! If your child is a culinary master in the making or just loves to help out in the kitchen, the Beverly Hills Farmers’ Market is the place to be as the Cookin’ Kids program is available FREE the 2nd Sunday of each month from 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. as part of the Market’s Kid Zone. Children will be introduced to fresh fruits and vegetables based on what’s in season. They will be able to taste the featured item of the month, learn about its health benefits, meet the farmer and get recipes that they can easily prepare at home. Children must be accompanied by an adult and can drop by and participate anytime during the session.

The Kid Zone also includes pony rides at $5.00, and a petting zoo for $3.00 every 2nd and 4th Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Community Tree Planting

Long Beach (address emailed to you upon registration on website)
Saturday, January 30, 2010
9 a.m. – Noon
Ages: All
Cost: FREE
Website

Please join Eagle Award prospect Greg Reilly and his Citizen Forester mentor John Royce as they plant 34 trees along this business district in Long Beach. Long Beach needs trees!  Join in for this fun community event!

All volunteers must individually pre-register to attend. If you would like to register a group, please contact Lisa Sotelo at volunteer@treepeople.org. This is a first come first served opportunity.

Be Green with a Green Thumb

The only thing better than buying from a local farmer is growing your own food. But in the concrete jungle that is L.A., not everyone’s dwelling is connected to a plot of dirt suitable for a garden. You can still teach your kids the importance and benefits of gardening at your local community garden. The Los Angeles Community Garden Council lists community gardens near you. Community Gardens are like public parks but are maintained by the public. For a small fee you can use a plot of land—designated to you—to grow your garden. You will tend, cultivate and harvest from your own plot.

Approximately 70 community gardens are growing in Los Angles County, serving 3,900 families. Community gardens are vibrant, cooperative organizations that build neighborhood self-reliance, and reduce poverty, mitigate global warming and benefit the LA River and Ballona Creek watersheds. Los Angeles devotes little taxpayer money to community gardens yet they return abundant neighborhood benefit.

Look for a community garden near you HERE. All the contact information is included with each location, helping you get started with your plot!

Go Green Expo Los Angeles

Los Angeles Convention Center
South Hall J
1201 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, 90015
Saturday, January 24, 2010
10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Sunday, January 25, 2010
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Ages: All
Cost: Adults – Weekend pass for Saturday & Sunday – $10; Children under age 12 – FREE; Senior citizens (65+) – $5;
Students: with Valid Student ID $5
Website

Everyone interested in learning about environmentally friendly goods & services for use in modern everyday living. Also for everyday consumers seeking eco-friendly products & services for their companies, homes, schools & children.

• Over 200 Booths / Exhibits
• Interactive Seminars / Speeches
• Film Presentations
• Green Marketplace
• Demonstrations & hands on activities

Saturday Schedule

11:00 am: Panel: Healthy Living from best selling authors, magazine publishers & wellness professionals – tradeshow floor

1:00 pm: Panel: Sustainable Investing from eco-minded financial experts – tradeshow floor

2:00 pm – Entertainment Panel: “Broadcasting the Green Message” with Josh Dorfman, best selling Author & radio personality of “The Lazy Environmentalist,”Sherry Beal Host & Producer on KPFK-FM’s #1 Environmental Radio Show: “Healthy Planet, Healthy Me!,” and Boise Thomas Co-Star of “Alter Eco” on Discoverys Channel’s Planet Green network – tradeshow floor
(Josh Dorfman will have a brief book signing immediately following this panel at the “Book Soup” Boothlocated in front of this speaker area)

3:00 pm Keynote: Mariel Hemingway discussing overall wellness from her new book “Healthy Living from the Inside Out” – tradeshow floor
(Mariel will have a brief book signing immediately following this panel at the “Book Soup” Booth located in front of this speaker area)

4:30 pm: Panel: Charging into the Future with Electric Cars & Mass Transportationwith leaders from Plug In America and the transportation system – tradeshow floor

Sunday Schedule

11:00 am: Keynote: Robert Holmes discussing the adventurous Green Living Project; eco-tourism & sustainability projects in Africa & beyond – Located in Room 304, directly above tradeshow floor

11:00 am: Panel: Greening your Business with regional business leaders – tradeshow floor

1:00 pm: Panel: Energy & Conservation from industry & environmental advocates – tradeshow floor

3:00 pm: Panel: Green Building & Design with sustainability experts, architects & designers along with a special presentation by members of the NRDC- tradeshow floor