The Original Farmers Market in the heart of Los Angeles has fed millions of people, locals and visitors alike, since it first opened in 1934. If you’ve ever wondered about the history of the space, restaurants, or vendors, Angelenos will soon have a chance to dive in.
This weekend, just next door to The Grove, Angelenos can take a free walking tour through the Original Farmers Market to learn the rich history of the eateries and their vendors via The Stories of US: Generations at The Original Farmers Market, hosted by the world’s largest genealogy site, Ancestry.
Guests can pick up a tour map at an Ancestry booth next to the Farmer’s Market clock tower. The highlighted vendors include Magee’s Kitchen, Huntgton Meats & Sausage, Charlie’s Coffee Shop, Bennett’s Homemade Ice Cream, and Sticker Planet.
The event, The Stories of US: Generations at The Original Farmers Market, runs Saturday, May 23, through Monday, May 25.
📍 The Original Farmers Market, 6333 W 3rd StLos Angeles, CA 90036
Nancy Silverton dives into her own history
Nancy Silverton, an L.A. native and the 2026 James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award-winning chef, knows just how meaningful the people who make up these small businesses are. She teamed up with Ancestry for an intimate culinary event at the Market on the evening of Wednesday, May 20, where she reflected on her past.
“There’s something about that face behind them,” she shares Secret Los Angeles exclusively, before reflecting on her own family’s history.
“My grandfather was a jeweler in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Very small town. My father used to tell wonderful stories of the community that would hang out at my grandfather’s jewelry store. Stores aren’t always just a place to sell things. Stores are sometimes the place you just want to be because of the person who owns it.”
Silverton grew up in the San Fernando Valley, and her iconic Melrose restaurant, Osteria Mozza, was awarded a Michelin star in 2014. Alongside Ancestry, she put together a small business guide for L.A. on “the places that shaped me,” including Bob’s Coffee & Donuts located at stall 450 inside the Farmer’s Market. The guide highlights many small businesses that she still shops at today, and three of which are inside the Original Farmer’s Market.
The complete list of Silverton’s favorite small businesses around L.A.:
- Bob’s Coffee & Donuts
- Burritos La Palma
- Carnival Restaurant
- Chavelier’s Books
- Huntington Meats & Sausage
- Larchmont Beauty Center
- Monsieur Marcel
- Noodle Stories
- Regency Jewelry Co.
Sticker Planet, one of the featured stores, is also giving back all the proceeds from their 2026 FIFA-themed sticker to the local community – stop by their store for more details.
For each person who submits a free family story brief to its Stories Of Us campaign, Ancestry has also pledged to sponsor LA-based students with their Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE)‘s entrepreneurship program.
See Silverton’s guide below:
