Surf City Nights Farmer's Market Tuesdays 5 - 9 p.m. 200 Main St., Huntington Beach, CA

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIF. - On Tuesday evenings in Huntington Beach between 5 and 9 p.m. visitors can buy certified California-grown fruits, vegetables and produce. Part of a street fair called, Surf City Nights, the farmers market element draws a steady crowd of food shoppers.

The tent canopies in the photo show the size of the farmer's market. You will most often find apples, oranges, nuts, vegetables, lettuces, berries that are in season, onions, tomatoes, and other items the farms are producing.

Since California enjoys year-round growing opportunities, the fruits and veggies you will find at these markets are more readily available than elsewhere in the country.

California is one of the largest shippers of items such as artichokes, almonds, and strawberries, in fact. When you buy from a farm rep or seller, it is always worth a try to ask when the season ended and if they will tell you, the dates of the produce they are selling and where it came from.

Many the farmer's markets don't offer lower prices than grocery stores, so you have to determine if what you are buying is a good deal or not. People seeking the freshest ingredients for cooking and eating often swear by particular vendors and their products or by a market in general.

The markets have become quite popular and you'll find them in nearly every city and town in California. Some cities like Huntington Beach offer two shopping opportunities per week (Farmers Market Fridays can be found next to Huntington Beach Pier, for instance) so people find that they can actually purchase enough items to sustain themselves. Organically grown produce is always a big draw and there are some markets an vendors that offer a large selection of organic produce.