What separates this from a standard weekend market is the origin story: it was never a civic project or a commercial venture first. It started as neighbors selling clothes and kept the low-overhead, high-turnover character of that. Vendors are a rotating cast, so what's there one week won't be there the next. That's a reason to go regularly, not just once.

Practical notes: this is Marin, so driving is the realistic option for most SF visitors — take US-101 north and build in 20 minutes of parking patience. Bring cash; not every seller runs a card reader. Wear layers — marine layer off the bay lingers until noon.

If you've got two hours: get there at opening, do a full lap before you buy anything, then go back for the two things you couldn't stop thinking about. That's the only system that works.