There are farmers' markets, and then there is the one & only, original Farmers Market, at 3rd & Fairfax, L.A.'s oldest outdoor market. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Los Angeles; during peak Summer months, it's visited by over 40,000 people a day.

Located right next to CBS TV City, Farmers Market also sees its fair share of celebrities and soap opera heartthrobs visiting from that studio.

With 30 acres containing over 70 stalls, stores, markets and cafés, this indoor/outdoor bazaar offers what must be one of the most eye-dazzling display of food and produce ever presented to the public. There are over shops, restaurants, cafes and grocery vendors, three produce stands, two meat markets, a home made candy shop, two nut shops, two poultry marts, two bakeries, a flower shop and two ice cream parlors.

Farmers Market is made up of a series of 15 large, white wooden buildings (with green roofs and brown shutters) encircling an open-air quad which is filled with at least 30 smaller, free-standing stalls. This creates a maze of narrow, sunny walkways in between the stalls, where shoppers can stroll and ogle the colorful displays - and each other. People-watching is one of the most popular activities at the Market.

Simple round tables (topped with slightly-faded umbrellas) sit in the center of these open-air aisles, allowing for patio dining with a sidewalk café ambiance. You can pull up an ancient, green metal folding chair at any of these tables, and enjoy your meal in the sunshine.

No diet would long survive the sights and aromas of this grand emporium of food. There are vast crates filled with sweet-smelling fruit: giant peaches, shiny blue grapes, oranges as big as your fist. Is the fruit you like most out of season? Guess again. No matter what the season - even in the dead of winter - there will be a colorful bounty here of ripe strawberries, watermelon, cherries, dates, figs, cantaloupes, grapefruit, mangoes, apricots, bananas, kiwi fruit, tangerines, nectarines, and apples of every sort. That's in addition to the fresh tomatoes, onions, potatoes, garlic, sweet corn, avocados, yams, that are available year-round. Plus, there's fresh-squeezed orange juice, and colorful gift packs of dried fruit ready for the mailing.

There are meat markets and cheese markets; pie shops, chocolate shops, & pastry shops; French cafés, Mexican cantinas, Chinese restaurants, and Jewish delis (with sandwiches too thick to fit in your mouth). You can choose from Cajun gumbo, Japanese sushi, Belgian waffles or Italian pasta. And of course you can mix or match, buying a soup from one open-air café, an entree from another, and dessert from a third stand.

The sights and smells of bountiful food surround you everywhere. You can see (and smell!) fresh peanut butter being made at Magee's Kitchen. Fresh horseradish is being ground nearby from giant, gnarled roots. Nearby is a case of sweet, chunky mincemeat. You can watch cakes being decorated, or see shiny, fresh loaves of bread come out of the oven at the Bread Bin, or watch apples being dunked in caramel at Little John's. Over at Du-Par's restaurant, a plate glass window lets you watch their pies being made.