My Spot: Fresno’s Bustling Cherry Auction Flea Market

Our occasional series "My Spot" celebrates personal experiences with special places in California.

It’s a warm, sunny Saturday morning in Fresno, and Giovanni Martinez is doing what he does every weekend: selling clothes at the Cherry Auction south of downtown. Coming twice a week to this buzzing outdoor flea market may be his job, but Martinez says it feels like a family.

“It's a perfect representation of the Central Valley,” he says. “I want to say 70 percent of the people that come here are Mexican-American or just some kind of Hispanic-American.”

The 27-year-old business student has been selling women’s sweaters and jackets at the Cherry Auction since he was a teenager. His parents, who run a similar stall two aisles away, have been vendors here and at other markets for more than 15 years.

“I'm a newbie here,” Martinez says. “I know some people have been here longer than 20, almost 30 years. There's really big families here.”

There’s a really big selection, too. Shoppers can find practically anything they want, from toys and lawn equipment to pet birds and used cars. The sprawling market has been around since the 1920s, when it began as a livestock auction.

For lunch, Martinez recommends the rumbling white food truck across from his stall. His favorite food there? Fish and shrimp tacos.

“Cole slaw, sour cream, salsa, lime juice,” he says, smiling. “It just makes you feel like you're in Baja. All you need is a Corona and you're ready to go.”