"I brought four boxes thinking it would get me through the day, but we're barely two hours in and I'm basically out," Angel Iturbide of Markowicz Farms told Easy Reader on April 22, the first afternoon the North Redondo Beach Farmers' Market set up on Green Lane. Organizers had planned for 300 to 700 visitors that Earth Day. They counted more than 2,000, spread across a bit more than 20 booths on one closed block next to the North Branch Library.
That turnout came on day one of a six-month trial. The city's approval runs through Wednesday, October 28, 2026. That leaves three market afternoons in the pilot period: October 14, October 21 and October 28. After that, a final evaluation decides whether the market can become a permanent program.
A Market Approved With an Expiration Date
The City Council took up the market on April 14, 2026. A city staff report laid out the terms: every Wednesday from 2 to 7 p.m., on Green Lane between Artesia Boulevard and Vanderbilt Lane, with roughly 30 to 45 vendors expected. During the pilot, sales are limited to food and nursery products.
The report puts the permit costs at about $2,365. That covers $1,011 for the street closure over six months, a tent permit, a street banner and around eight new no-parking signs installed by Public Works. Staff recommended waiving all of it except vendor business licenses, so the city could track sales tax from regular sellers. According to Easy Reader, the council went along with that, waiving the permit fees but not the business license.
The pilot came with two checkpoints. Here's the timeline as the city and local coverage set it out:
- April 14, 2026: The council considers the pilot and the fee waivers.
- April 22, 2026: Opening day.
- May 6, 2026: Ribbon cutting. At the May 12 council meeting, a councilmember mentioned attending it.
- About three months in: A midpoint review by the organizers to find operational issues and make adjustments.
- October 28, 2026: The pilot ends, followed by a full evaluation of whether the market can go permanent.
The Revenue Is Meant for Artesia
The market's revenue is earmarked for the corridor around it. The market is run by OurNRB, a newly formed nonprofit whose president is Teresa Mitchell, and it grew out of a grassroots effort that Easy Reader said began in earnest the previous fall. Vendors pay a percentage of their sales. OurNRB says it reinvests the market's revenue in the Artesia–Aviation corridor and the streets around it.
The staff report names possible projects: street trees, benches, artwork, cleanups and community gatherings. Community input guides the choices, and anything on public property needs city approval. The report also ties the market directly to Goal 1.2 of the city's Strategic Plan, which is to revitalize Artesia Boulevard. Before opening day, District Four Councilmember Zein Obagi Jr. told Easy Reader the market was "a game-changer for North Redondo." Mitchell said the key was "that people come to the markets regularly, making it a habit."
The rest of Artesia has had a busy year too. Mickey's Deli, a Hermosa Beach mainstay, opened its second location at 2716 Artesia Boulevard near Inglewood Avenue at the end of February, as the Daily Breeze reported. Over the summer, the North Redondo Beach Business Association ran Dine Around ARTesia, a series of tasting strolls along the boulevard that ended with a final night on August 20. The same business association co-sponsors the farmers market, with South Bay Credit Union as its founding sponsor.
Who Was Selling on Green Lane
Produce sellers have to be certified by the California Department of Food and Agriculture and sell what they grow. Organizers planned four categories: nursery, produce, prepared foods and pre-packaged foods. Easy Reader's opening-day report named these vendors:
- Produce, eggs and plants: Markowicz Farms, Burkart Organics, Jesus Castellano's Fresh Produce, Vicente Family Farm, Torres Garden
- Hot food: Original Tamale Co., Landoughs pizza, Onimon Japanese rice balls, Zaiqa Kitchens Indian fusion, Maria's Catering & Kettle Corn
- Sweets and coffee: Cinnies cinnamon rolls, Mix It Up Ice Cream, Del Cid Coffee
- Pantry: Small Axe Bread sourdough, Avila and Sons Farms almond butter, Brother's Products hummus dips, Bee Wild Collective raw honey, Gourmet Blends oils and balsamic, Likohina's Tropical Butters, High Society Meats, Antipastila
That's an April roster. No current vendor list has been published since, so some names may have changed over the summer. The same story describes a line for Mix It Up Ice Cream that reached the curb, and Cinnies cinnamon rolls selling out on opening day. Evan Froewiss of Bee Wild Collective told the paper, "It's needed in every neighborhood for walkability and everything."
The Only Afternoon Market in Town
Redondo Beach already had two certified farmers markets before April. Here's how the three compare, based on the city's farmers market page and the organizers' own sites:
| Market | Day | Hours | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Redondo Beach Farmers' Market | Wednesday | 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. | Green Lane at Artesia Blvd, next to the North Branch Library |
| Farmers' Market by the Pier | Thursday | 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Veterans Park, 309 Esplanade |
| Riviera Village Farmers Market | Sunday | 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. | 1801 S. Elena Ave. |
Both older markets close by 1 p.m. The Wednesday market is the only one in the city still open into the evening, and the only one north of the coastal strip. Riviera Village's market says on its own site that it runs year-round. District 1 Councilmember Brad Waller's September 21 newsletter still lists all three side by side, with North Redondo on Wednesdays from 2 to 7 p.m.
On market day, Green Lane is closed from Artesia Boulevard to Vanderbilt. The organizers point shoppers to street parking in the surrounding blocks, and there are two ADA spaces next to the market. According to the staff report, the North Branch Library and the Community Services offices stay open during the market, and their parking lots stay open to the public.
What Happens After October 28
As of October 12, the city hasn't published a decision. We checked City Council agendas from July through the October 13 meeting and found no item on extending the market, making it permanent or reporting its evaluation. The market's website still shows its regular Wednesday hours and doesn't mention a fall, holiday or post-pilot schedule. We also found no published results from the midpoint review.
Under the staff report, OurNRB runs a full evaluation at the end of the pilot to decide whether the market can become permanent, and city staff watch the weekly operations to make sure city services aren't disrupted. The original proposal also left room to grow: vendor interest forms are still open on the market's site, and the pilot's food-and-nursery limit applies only "during the pilot period."
Until a decision is posted, the confirmed schedule is three more Wednesdays on Green Lane, 2 to 7 p.m., on October 14, 21 and 28.
If you follow how the Artesia corridor is changing, from the Wednesday market to new storefronts like Mickey's Deli, California Collective keeps close watch on North Redondo block by block. Book a curated neighborhood consultation, and we'll walk you through what's opening along Artesia and what's still waiting on a city decision.