Galt’s open-air market draws buyers

You can get just about anything at Galt Market.

The only catch is the open-air market is open only on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Thousands of shoppers from throughout Northern California — and even from out of state — come to Galt in search of bargains for items including clothing, phones, radios, household items, jewelry, plants, wallets, pictures, picture frames, stationery items, toys, tools and wood products.

The 10-acre market, commonly known in town as the flea market, is especially crowded during holidays and the summer, when school is out. On hot summer days, the market is the most crowded in the early morning.

The market is open at 6 a.m. Tuesdays for wholesale buyers only, while retail customers may enter the grounds at 10. The Wednesday market opens at 6 a.m. and closes at 3 p.m. Volumes of fresh produce are available Wednesdays.

The market, on Caroline and Chabolla avenues and Meladee Lane, was the site of the Sacramento County Fair, which was held in Galt from 1937 until 1959, when fair officials decided to move the county event to the former state fairgrounds on Stockton Boulevard in Sacramento.

Galt’s county fairgrounds took up 48 acres — most of the area south of C Street between Highway 99 and Lincoln Way.

After the county fair moved to Sacramento, the former fairgrounds became the location for Galt City Hall, two community centers, the Gora Aquatic Center, Fairsite Elementary School, the Galt Sports Complex and the Galt Market.

Entrances to Galt Market can be found on Caroline and Chabolla avenues as well as Meladee Lane. Parking is at a premium, especially during the summer and during the holiday season between Thanksgiving and Christmas. City officials recommend arriving at the market between 6 and 9 a.m.

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