Guerneville Certified Farmers' Market

Guerneville's certified farmers' market sets up on Thursday afternoons through the summer, from 3 to 7pm between June and August, at the corner of Fourth and Church streets in the middle of town, behind Hubert's Hall. It is an evening market as much as a grocery run: growers bring the peak of the Russian River summer, and some vendors cook to order for people coming in off the river.

It is run by the nonprofit that also operates the Santa Rosa Original Certified Farmers Market, the oldest in the county.

Go for the hour when a river day winds down. After a swim, a paddle or a walk in the redwoods, the market is where Guerneville gathers before dinner, and dinner can be bought right there. It is small, friendly and unpretentious, very much in the spirit of the river towns, with families and locals in no hurry to leave.

It also makes a gentle introduction to the West County food scene for anyone staying on the river: a chance to meet the people who grow it, at the end of the day rather than the start.