"Right now we need parking in Old Town," Scottsdale Vice Mayor Adam Kwasman told the City Council in April. "A decade from now we're not going to have an opportunity to make the changes that we will need and we're going to be wishing that we had this one back."
He voted yes. So did four of his colleagues. That 5–2 vote approved a contract of nearly $4 million for phase one of the Brown Avenue parking structure. The project puts two more levels on the existing parking corral at First Street and Brown Avenue, and it moved the Old Town Scottsdale Farmers Market off the spot it had used for years. The City of Scottsdale's project page says the new levels will hold 185 parking stalls. AZFamily's report on the vote put the number at 186.
On Saturday, Oct. 3, the market opened its 2026–27 season at a new address: the City Hall surface lot, 3939 N. Drinkwater Blvd., in the middle of Scottsdale Civic Center. Old Town's main weekly gathering now opens onto the city's renovated park and arts campus. The calendar there is full this fall, with something on almost every weekend through mid-November.
Where the Market Went, and Why
The market's operator, Arizona Farmers Markets, says it was established in October 2008. Old Town Scottsdale's own page dates it to 2009 and says it represents more than 100 local growers and specialty food producers. For most of that time its home was the parking corral at First Street and Brown Avenue. That lot is now part of a garage expansion paid for by a 2019 bond measure voters approved, with a current budget of around $18 million.
The vote was contested. Nearly 20 residents and business owners spoke at the April 14 meeting, and most of them opposed the project. Petitions against the garage had been circulating for months. One supporter at the meeting said the design "conforms to the architectural standards of historic Old Town." Mayor Lisa Borowsky, one of the two no votes, saw it differently.
"One of my key priorities was to revitalize and beautify old town. And I think this garage does exactly the opposite of that."
AZFamily reported that the approval put the city on track to open the garage by "next spring training." Coming from an April 2026 vote, that points to the 2027 Cactus League season. It is a target, not a confirmed finish date. The market's own season runs October 2026 through June 2027, so the whole season overlaps with construction on the old corner.
What the New Lot Offers
Old Town's announcement calls the new site "just a short walk from the former spot." It puts the market "right in the center of the Civic Center," a good place to pick up treats and picnic in the park afterward. The move matters most for that reason. On Brown Avenue the market sat on a parking corral. At City Hall it borders a 24-acre outdoor space that Scottsdale Arts programs with two performance areas, the East Bowl and the West Bowl.
When Civic Center reopened after its renovation, local coverage listed three outdoor stages, kid-friendly play areas, botanical exhibits, 140 shade trees and water-conserving turf among the upgrades. Two of the city's main cultural buildings sit on the same campus. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts is at 7380 E. Second St. Next door, the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, which covers contemporary art, architecture and design, is at 7374 E. Second St.
The Practical Details
Hours: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays from October through April. Hours shrink to 8 a.m. to noon in May and 7 to 10 a.m. in June. The market is closed July, August and September.
Vendors: The current roster includes AK Pride, AZ Farms Cheese and Blue Pine Ranch among the growers. Bakeries include Arizona Bread Co., Noble Bread and Proof Bread. The market notes that individual vendors may not attend every week.
Dogs: Well-mannered pets are welcome.
Parking: The market hasn't published a parking plan for the new site. Scottsdale Arts lists free public parking around the Performing Arts Center, including the Civic Center Garage and nearby lots.
Timing: The Civic Center Library, at 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd., opens at 10 a.m. on Saturdays, two hours after the first vendors start selling.
A Crowded Fall Calendar at Civic Center
The market's arrival lines up with the park's busiest season. Opening day already shared Saturday with another Old Town debut. On Oct. 3 the Arizona Baseball Legacy & Experience exhibit opened at Scottsdale Stadium, timed to run alongside Arizona Fall League games. From here, the calendar around the market lot stays busy into November.
| Date | Event | Where | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturdays from Oct. 3 | Old Town Scottsdale Farmers Market | City Hall surface lot | 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | Scottsdale Fall Festival | Scottsdale Civic Center | 5 to 9 p.m., free |
| Oct. 22–25 | Día de los Muertos art installation | Scottsdale Civic Center | 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
| Oct. 23–24 | Día de los Muertos Fiestas | Scottsdale Civic Center | Scottsdale Arts lists Sat., Oct. 24, and the city calendar lists Fri., Oct. 23 |
| Nov. 6–15 | Canal Convergence: Western Nature | Scottsdale Waterfront | Free |
| Nov. 7–8 | Scottsdale Italian Festival | Civic Center, per Scottsdale Arts | Saturday and Sunday |
The Fall Festival on Oct. 17 is the evening event of the season. The city lists live music, food trucks, trick-or-treating, carnival games and arts activities, all free. This year it has more event space and an extra hour of programming. Sources disagree on the date of the Día de los Muertos Fiestas. Scottsdale Arts lists Saturday, Oct. 24, which would put the Fiestas on a market day. The city's community calendar files its combined Fiestas and art installation entry under Friday, Oct. 23. The same city entry lists the installation for Oct. 22–25, so it will be up on the market's Oct. 24 Saturday whichever Fiestas date holds. On Nov. 7, the Italian Festival opens on a market Saturday too, during the run of Canal Convergence at the Waterfront.
Before this season, the market and these Civic Center events took place a short walk apart. Now they share the same campus on Saturdays.
After the Market, Around Old Town
Old Town's restaurants have changed a lot since the market closed for the summer, and anyone heading out for brunch or lunch after shopping will find a different mix than in June.
- Old Town Tortilla Factory has closed. The restaurant served Mexican food from a historic adobe home at Main and 69th streets for 30 years. It opened in 1996 and was known for homemade tortillas, a pecan-shaded patio with a fire-topped fountain, and more than 100 agave spirits. Phoenix New Times reported the closure on Aug. 3.
- Ponderosa House is open. This two-part concept, with a cantina and a dining room, opened in May at 4121 N. Marshall Way. Phoenix New Times reviewed it in July.
- Holla Brunch Girl has opened. It's a Saturday sing-along brunch at 7320 E. Indian Plaza. It held its grand opening on Sept. 26, and PHOENIX magazine included it in its September openings roundup.
- General Admission is on the way. As of a Sept. 10 local update, it was targeting late October in the former RnR Gastropub space at 3737 N. Scottsdale Road. That date is a target, and an opening hasn't been confirmed.
Holla Brunch Girl only runs on Saturdays, the same day as the market. That gives the morning a second stop: produce and bread at the City Hall lot first, then brunch on Indian Plaza.
The Season Ahead
The market runs at City Hall every Saturday through June 2027. The Brown Avenue garage is targeted to open around spring training. The market's published materials don't say whether it will return to its old corner or stay in Civic Center after this season. For now, the address to use is 3939 N. Drinkwater Blvd.
Small changes like a market moving a few blocks can shift how a neighborhood's weekends work, and keeping track of them is part of knowing Old Town well. If you'd like to talk about how changes around Civic Center and Brown Avenue fit into your plans for an Old Town home, Ragini Sejpal is glad to help. Let's Connect.
