The West Palm Beach GreenMarket opened its 32nd season on October 3 with a new theme, "The World, Right Here." The season also brought a rule change. Four vendors who have been at the market for more than 15 years now hold the title "Legacy Vendors." They no longer compete for their spots. Those four are Leila, Macy's Smoked Fish Dip, Makebs and Mozzarita, as the Palm Beach Post reported in its season preview.
The Post counts well over 100 vendors this season. Five are new, and four now have guaranteed booths. Picture that against a lawn that the Post says draws more than 10,000 people each Saturday. A few booths are now locked in, a handful change, and most stay in the competitive pool. At 32 seasons, the market is starting to work like an institution. Its fixed points are more fixed than they were last spring, and that affects how a downtown Saturday comes together.
From 13 Vendors to a Guaranteed Lineup
The market didn't start with tenure. The City's history of the market says it opened in November 1995 under then-Mayor Nancy Graham, with 13 vendors in the Old City Hall parking lot. The City calls it Palm Beach County's first weekly public farmers market. Mayor Keith A. James drew the same comparison in comments the Post published:
"What started with just 13 vendors in a small parking lot has grown into a Saturday morning tradition for residents and visitors alike."
Recognition from outside the city adds to that sense of permanence. In April 2026 the GreenMarket won back the "Best Farmers Market" title in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards. The Post notes it had finished as runner-up the two years before. The City's history page credits the market with more than four dozen awards over the years, including Cooking Light's "Best Market in Florida."
For a regular, the Legacy designation is practical. A shopper who always picks up smoked fish dip or fresh mozzarella can count on those four stands being in place through the end of the season in May.
Who Is Competing for the Rest of the Lawn
With four spots settled, the season's change shows up among everyone else, and the theme helps explain who made it in. The Post says this year's vendors represent countries across Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and beyond. The City's vendor directory puts names to that range:
- Balkan Breakfast
- Café Marseille
- Chakalaka
- Havana Restaurant
- Korean Kitchen
- Nisha's Flavors of India
- TocToc Latin Kitchen
- The Ceviche & Guacamole House
The Ceviche & Guacamole House was the opening-day example. In the City's October 8 newsletter, Mayor James wrote that the stand showed the crowd how to make fresh guacamole and salsa during the opening ceremony.
The five first-season vendors are Ba Café, Arya Tea Bar, Macaroner, Sayblee Products and Truffle Smiles. If you've shopped the market long enough to have a set route, those are the names to add to it.
A Season With Fixed Dates on the Calendar
The same predictability applies to the calendar. The 2026–27 season runs Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the Great Lawn at 100 N. Clematis St., from October 3 through May 22, 2027. There are two Saturdays off. The market closes February 6 for the Palm Tree Festival and March 20 for the Palm Beach International Boat Show. That makes 32 market Saturdays this season. Two have already passed, so 30 are left as of today.
The Master Chef Showcase, which the Post calls a chef-to-chef-style competition, starts November 14. The City lists four showcase dates for the season. The years in the table come from where each date falls in the October-to-May season.
| Date | What's happening |
|---|---|
| Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026 | Master Chef Showcase opener |
| Saturday, Dec. 19, 2026 | Master Chef Showcase |
| Saturday, Jan. 30, 2027 | Master Chef Showcase |
| Saturday, Feb. 6, 2027 | No market; Palm Tree Festival |
| Saturday, March 20, 2027 | No market; boat show |
| Saturday, April 10, 2027 | Master Chef Showcase |
| Saturday, May 22, 2027 | Final market of the season |
The City's showcase page has posted the dates but hasn't named this season's competing chefs yet. The weekly Pop-Up Workshops are on the City's season page as well, but this season's topics haven't been listed.
Getting There Without Paying for It
Parking is where locals and day-trippers tend to diverge, and the City spells out the options. Three public garages are free during market hours, and the two closest charge a flat weekend rate.
- City Center Garage, 401 Banyan Blvd. Free during market hours.
- Clematis Street Garage, 500 Banyan Blvd. Free during market hours.
- Sapodilla City Garage, 640 Clematis St. Free during market hours.
- Banyan Garage, 200 Banyan Blvd. Closest to the lawn, with a $5 all-day weekend flat rate.
- Evernia Garage, 333 Evernia St. Also closest, also $5 for the weekend day.
If you live close enough to ride, there's a free bike valet at North Narcissus Avenue and Clematis Street. The market is also dog friendly.
The $5 Evernia Garage matters for the rest of your Saturday. Parking there puts you on the same street as the newest downtown opening.
After 1:30, Evernia Street Picks Up
The Daily Focaccia held its ribbon cutting on October 5 at 410 Evernia St., Suite 118. Co-founders Fernanda Bruna and Chef Erjon Musaj built it around Tuscan-style focaccia sandwiches, organic wines and craft beer, according to the Chamber of Commerce listing. In the City newsletter, Mayor James described the menu as inspired by Chef Erjon's upbringing in Tuscany.
Timing matters here. The Daily Focaccia's website lists hours of noon to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday, "or until we sell out," and it's closed Sundays. That leaves a 90-minute overlap with the market, from noon to 1:30. You can shop the lawn in the morning and have lunch on Evernia without driving anywhere else.
The menu reads like a short tour of Italy with one American stop. Options include the Al Mare with smoked salmon, dill cream sauce and crispy capers, plus the Capri, Primavera, Siciliano Rustico, Zio's Focaccia, Toscano and a spicy Arrabbiata. Palm Beach Illustrated's June preview described the Italiano Bello as mortadella, ricotta, pistachios, arugula, olive oil and lemon zest. The Americano comes with maple-glazed bacon, cheddar, heirloom tomatoes and Dijon mayo. If you just bought mozzarella from a Legacy Vendor, the Capri's mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and pesto is a natural follow-up.
The Bagel Shop Targeting November
The next opening could change the market's early hours. The Palm Beach Post reported in August that owners Max Ayoub and Gus Lange plan to open 212 Bagel Co. in November in the 500 block of Clematis Street. The company says its founders grew up in New York and that "212" is New York City's original area code.
A Post photo gallery describes hand-rolled, kettle-boiled bagels baked on site. The shop plans plain, sesame, poppy, everything and salt varieties, plus three matcha drinks. The company's posted hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends. If it opens on schedule, it will be serving before the 8:30 a.m. market bell and still be open after the 1:30 p.m. close. A Saturday downtown could then start and end with a stop near the lawn instead of only ending with one. November is still a target, so check before you plan around it.
Put it together and a fall Saturday in downtown West Palm Beach has a reliable center. The market sits on the Great Lawn for 30 more Saturdays. Its four longest-running vendors have their spots secured, three garages are free until 1:30, and a Tuscan sandwich counter on Evernia opens at noon.
If your Saturdays already run through the Great Lawn, you know this part of the city well. When you'd like to talk about which downtown blocks match the routine you love, I'm glad to compare notes in English or Spanish. Call or text "Roxy" at (561) 714‑9673, or visit Roxy Campbell.
