At First Street and Brown Avenue, where the farmers market used to set up its tents every Saturday, there is now a fenced construction site. A Saturday at the market now starts about a quarter mile away, in the parking lot outside Scottsdale City Hall.
Since Oct. 3, the Old Town Scottsdale Farmers Market has run at 3939 N. Drinkwater Blvd. The vendors and the 8 a.m. start are the same as before. The center of a Saturday in Old Town has moved to the Civic Center side, and the walk back to Brown Avenue now runs past a construction zone that will be there through most of this market season.
The Corner That Used to Start the Morning
People call the two-level lot at First and Brown "The Parking Corral," and it had been there for about 23 years. On June 29 it closed for construction, during the summer break when the market wasn't running. The city is adding two more levels to the existing structure, which will mean 185 new parking stalls.
Scottsdale Progress reported that the market moved to make room for the new multi-level garage while construction is underway. In the city's announcement, the City Hall site gives the market "room to grow while keeping it close to Old Town shops, restaurants and Civic Center." Neither source gives a date for the market to go back to Brown Avenue. For now, the City Hall lot is its home.
What the City Hall Lot Offers
For a market that runs into the warm months, shade matters most. The lot has two new solar shade canopies built to keep shoppers and vendors cooler on hot days. The same voter-approved bond project also brought electrical service to the lot for the market and other community events. Those panels are expected to start producing power later this year. The city estimates they will cover about 75% of City Hall's electricity use and save about $46,000 a year in energy costs.
Parking is right across the street at the One Civic Center surface lot. During the market's first month, Old Town ambassadors are posted along the route from Brown Avenue through Civic Center to point the way. The season opened Oct. 3, so the ambassadors should be out for the last October Saturdays.
Hours also change during the season. The city's announcement gives the standard 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. window. The Arizona Community Farmers Markets page for Old Town Scottsdale shows the market closing earlier as the weather warms:
| Months | Saturday hours |
|---|---|
| October 2026 through April 2027 | 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
| May 2027 | 8 a.m. to noon |
| June 2027 | 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. |
| July through September | Closed |
The June schedule ends the market at 10 a.m. Shoppers who usually arrive late morning will find it already closed by then.
Who's Selling at the New Lot
The vendors came along to Drinkwater. The operator's roster marks attendance as variable, so any given vendor may not be there every week, but these are the names on this season's list:
- Growers and producers: AK Pride, AZ Farms Cheese, Blue Pine Ranch, Cesan Farms, Henry's Egg Farm, Ocotillo Farms
- Bread and pasta: Arizona Bread Co., Noble Bread, Proof Bread, AZ Pasta Pasta
- Prepared food: Doctor Hummus, 3 Brisketeers, D'Amico Pizza, Tastebuds Indian Food
The list has three different bakeries, so bread is well covered. If you want something specific from a farm stand, check the roster before you go, because the market says attendance varies.
The Walk Back Toward Brown Avenue
For many people, the market was only the first stop. Afterward they walked to breakfast or lunch near First and Brown. The construction has changed that walk more than anything else.
In July, Scottsdale Progress reported that the sidewalks on Brown Avenue, First Street and Second Street next to the garage were closed during construction. The paper described the walking conditions as "sidewalk surfing." The streets themselves stayed open to traffic. The same article named the restaurants closest to the site: Karsen's, which faces the lot from across First Street, Rehab Burger Therapy, a block away, and the historic Mission.
Street access around the site has changed since then. The city's project page, last updated Oct. 8, says:
- First Street reopened to traffic early on Oct. 16, after crews finished the north side of the garage.
- Second Street is closed along the south side of the structure from Oct. 16 to Nov. 16, because the crane that lifts the precast panels is too large to work safely with traffic.
- Precast panels go in overnight, from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., and are delivered to the site each night.
The page also contains a separate phase timeline with different dates. That timeline moves the crane to Second Street on Oct. 21 and has south-side panel work running through Nov. 20. Until the two schedules agree, check the city page before a mid-November Saturday rather than counting on either end date.
The overnight schedule helps market-goers. The heaviest lifting happens during the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. window and should be done by the time the market opens at 8. On a Saturday morning, the bigger change is the walking route. People coming from City Hall now pass the garage site on the way to Brown Avenue, where they used to start right at the corner.
When the Corner Comes Back
The city's current schedule has the new stalls opening in spring 2027, with finishing work continuing through summer 2027. The tentative timeline graphic on the project page labels the interiors and exteriors phase "garage open for spring training," followed by landscaping, site work and public art. The city also reports that the precast panel installation is ahead of schedule.
That spring date matters for anyone timing a return to the old route. Even on schedule, the garage won't add parking until well into this market season, around the time hours start getting shorter. The landscaping and sidewalk work comes after that.
The city describes a garage designed with its neighbors in mind. Community outreach meetings shaped the storefronts on the west side, and a mix of materials is meant to make the structure look like a row of separate buildings. The top level is set back from Brown Avenue, and the sidewalks will be shaded, designed to match Old Town's character. The public art already on the site will stay, and a new installation will face Second Street.
The Rest of the Fall Calendar Near Civic Center
Canal Convergence returns to the Scottsdale Waterfront Nov. 6 to 15 for its 15th year, under the theme Western Nature, with artworks, performances, workshops and food vendors. The event closes on Sunday, Nov. 15, according to Scottsdale Arts. Its two Saturdays, Nov. 7 and Nov. 14, are also market days. Both fall within the Second Street closure window the city has posted.
The weekly Thursday ArtWalk is still running. The Scottsdale Gallery Association has scheduled its next themed Gold Palette ArtWalk series for this fall but hasn't announced a date.
If your Saturday includes a late brunch, a newer Old Town spot is open. Holla Brunch Girl, a 21-and-over rooftop brunch at 7320 E. Indian Plaza, opened in late September. It runs Saturdays only, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with sing-along entertainment, Axios Phoenix reported.
Every Saturday through May, the market opens at 3939 N. Drinkwater Blvd. at 8 a.m., with parking across the street at One Civic Center and the canopies already up. In June it opens at 7.
If construction schedules like this one are part of a bigger decision for you, such as selling a home near Old Town, buying a condo within walking distance of Civic Center, or finding out what the new garage could mean for a property you're considering, the team at Shields Regal Realty can walk you through the details patiently and in plain language. Contact us whenever you're ready to talk.
