Downstairs at Grand Central Market: A Makers Market Near Me Every Weekend

Most visitors to Grand Central Market never take the stairs down. On weekends they should. The Bazaar, the market's in-house makers market, runs in the lower level every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 5pm at 317 South Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles, and admission is free. It is small, it changes every week, and it sits under one of the city's oldest food halls, which makes it the easiest makers market near me answer in central LA when you only have an afternoon.

Grand Central Market opened in October 1917 as the Wonder Market, billed as the largest and finest public market on the Pacific Coast. It filled the ground floor of the Beaux-Arts Homer Laughlin Building, which the market describes as the region's first steel-reinforced, fireproof structure. Today about 40 stalls trade upstairs, from legacy vendors like China Cafe, open since 1959, to newer names from LA's restaurant scene.

The Bazaar is the market's answer to the weekend pop-up circuit. Instead of a big fair twice a year, it brings in local makers and merchants every weekend and rotates the lineup, so the tables you see on a Friday may not be there the next Sunday. That turnover is part of the appeal for regulars, and it means a quick look is never wasted if you are already downtown for lunch.

The market is strict about what qualifies. Sellers of new, mass-produced merchandise or wholesale items are not eligible. The Bazaar looks specifically for original, handcrafted, repurposed or vintage goods. That rule keeps out the phone cases and imported souvenirs that fill many street fairs, and leaves room for independent clothing, jewelry, art, small-batch body care and vintage.

Recent featured merchants show the flavor. Harmony Mafia is an independent streetwear label founded in Los Angeles in 2021. The SellOut is a small-batch LA label that pulls from post-punk and pop culture. Canyon Collection makes artisan CBD products in small batches. Expect a younger, more streetwise mix than at a juried craft fair, with plenty of one-person brands testing the waters.

The Bazaar charges vendors $85 per day and offers an introductory deal to newly accepted sellers, which keeps the barrier low for first-time brands. That shows in the room. You often meet makers on their first or second market, happy to talk about how a piece was made and quick to take a custom request. Buying here is a direct way to support someone at the very start of a business.

For shoppers, the small scale is an advantage. You can see every table in 20 minutes, ask questions without a crowd behind you, and go back upstairs for a coffee while you think about it. If you love something, buy it that day. With a weekly rotation, nobody can promise the same seller will return the next weekend. Bring a card and a tote. Small brands increasingly take tap payments, and a reusable bag saves juggling purchases when you head back upstairs to the food stalls.

The best way to do the Bazaar is to sandwich it between meals. The market upstairs is open daily from 8am to 9pm, with hours varying by vendor, so a late breakfast followed by the Bazaar at 11am opening works well. On Saturday and Sunday the main floor gets crowded from noon to 2pm, which is a good window to be downstairs browsing instead of hunting for a seat.

Go back up afterward for a second round, or take something to go and eat on the steps outside. The market's info desk is staffed daily from 10am to 6pm if you need help finding a vendor. Note the holiday hours. The market closes on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and runs 8am to 6pm on Christmas Eve, so plan any holiday-weekend visit around those days.

Step out the Broadway entrance and you are in the middle of one of the country's great theater districts. The Million Dollar Theater, which shares the block with the market, opened in 1918 as one of Sid Grauman's movie palaces. Across Broadway, the Bradbury Building, finished in 1893, has a skylit atrium of iron balconies and open elevator cages that visitors can admire from the ground-floor lobby.

Out the Hill Street side, Angels Flight, the tiny funicular railway, climbs to Bunker Hill and the museums on Grand Avenue. Walk south on Broadway and you pass the Los Angeles Theatre and the Orpheum, with ornate facades from the 1920s, plus a growing cluster of independent shops and cafes in the ground floors of the old commercial buildings.

Take the Metro A or E Line to Historic Broadway Station, or the B or D Line to Pershing Square Station, about one block away. Metro Bike Share has a station at 303 South Broadway, right in front of the Million Dollar Theater. Driving? The market's garage is at 308 South Hill Street. The first 90 minutes cost $5.50, each additional 15 minutes is $2, and the daily maximum is $40, so the train is usually the cheaper choice for a long afternoon. From Union Station, the A Line gets you to Historic Broadway in a couple of stops.

The Bazaar suits downtown visitors with an hour to spare, shoppers who like streetwear and vintage more than polished craft-fair displays, and anyone who wants to find a brand before it is everywhere. It is not a destination on its own if you are driving in from far away. Pair it with a meal upstairs and a walk on Broadway to make the trip worthwhile.

Address: Grand Central Market, lower level, 317 South Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013. Bazaar hours: Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 5pm. Admission is free. Market hours run daily 8am to 9pm, with info desk hours 10am to 6pm; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Parking: 308 South Hill Street, first 90 minutes $5.50. Selling: makers apply through the market's Bazaar page, and the daily vendor fee is $85.