When my husband and I crave different cuisines on the weekend, we often head to Lane Field Park, where a grassy lawn at the end of Broadway transforms into a lively outdoor market every Saturday and Sunday.
Local food vendors offer an assortment of dishes, so my husband and I can each grab what we want and then settle onto a blanket or a small table to enjoy our food and a sunny San Diego Saturday. Live music often provides a soundtrack as we savor our meals.
It's an inviting scene, particularly with San Diego Bay just across the street and the downtown skyline rising around it.
During my most recent visit, I met Rob Hudgins, manager and co-owner of San Diego Food Markets, the company behind the weekend gathering. He spied me reading a plaque (pictured below) near the intersection of Broadway & North Harbor and asked if I had known prior that Lane Field was once the home of the San Diego Padres…well, not the major league team we cheer for today, but its minor league predecessor.
Before Petco Park, there was Lane Field. Rob (pictured below with "home plate") filled me in on Lane Field’s history dating back to 1925, when it served as an athletic field for the U.S. Navy. By 1927, the facility had expanded to include bleachers and a track used for motorcycle and automobile racing. Baseball, however, would ultimately make the location famous.
In 1936, Bill "Hardpan" Lane relocated his Hollywood Stars baseball team from the Los Angeles area to San Diego, renaming the club the Padres and giving the city its first Pacific Coast League franchise.
The team played at the waterfront ballpark that would become known as Lane Field, named for its owner.
From ballpark to parking lot to public park. The Padres continued playing at Lane Field through the 1957 season, but the waterfront location presented challenges. The wooden stadium required frequent maintenance, and exposure to the salty marine air contributed to deterioration. After the 1957 season, the Padres moved to Westgate Park in Mission Valley.
Lane Field was eventually demolished, and for decades the property served as a parking lot, including for cruise ship passengers. It wasn't until the waterfront's redevelopment that the land found a new purpose, and in 2015, Lane Field Park opened as part of a larger project that also brought new hotels to the area.
Rather than erase the site's baseball history, designers incorporated reminders of its past. You can find representations of the original ballpark's home plate, pitcher's mound and bases ("first base" pictured below). A commemorative plaque honors the former stadium.
A new reason to gather. In 2018, Lane Field Park began yet another chapter when a weekly outdoor food and craft market opened on the property.
Today, San Diego Food Markets operates the Lane Field Park Market every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Unlike a traditional farmers market focused primarily on fresh produce, this gathering emphasizes prepared foods, local artisans and entertainment.
You can sample a variety of cuisines, browse handmade goods and enjoy live music while spending time outdoors. The park's grassy lawn and picnic-style atmosphere encourage people to linger rather than simply make a purchase and leave.
Lane Field may no longer host baseball games, but it continues to bring San Diegans together.
This article originally appeared in the San Diego Sun as part of the "Walking In The City" column. Read the original version here.
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