The North Redondo Farmers Market's Winter Comes Down to What It Costs to Close Green Lane

"The most important thing is that people come to the markets regularly, making it a habit," Teresa Mitchell, president of the nonprofit OurNRB, told Easy Reader the week before the North Redondo Beach Farmers Market opened in April.

Six months later, the habit has formed. The market has run every Wednesday from 2 to 7 p.m. on the closed block of Green Lane between Artesia Boulevard and Vanderbilt Lane, right next to the North Branch Library. The City approved it as a pilot that runs from April 22 through October 28, 2026, so Wednesday, October 28, is the last market day the original approval covers.

What happens after that depends mostly on a line item. Holding the market means closing a public street for five hours every week, and the cost of doing that, more than any count of shoppers, sets how much winter the market can afford.

Six months of Wednesdays, by the numbers

A City staff report prepared for the October 20 City Council meeting gives the first public look at how the pilot went, using figures OurNRB supplied.

• Vendors: about 30 to 35 each week, from Redondo Beach and other South Bay cities. The April pilot plan projected roughly 30 to 45.
• Attendance: about 2,000 to 2,300 people a week in the first two months. Crowds thinned over the summer, especially on very hot days, though the organizers report that a steady base of regular customers formed.
• What's sold: the pilot limited sales to food and nursery products. It's a certified market, so produce vendors sell what they grow.

In May, The South Bay Club listed early vendors including Avila and Sons Farms, Small Axe Bread, Del Cid Coffee, The Crazy Cucumber Pickles, Cinnies, Likohinas Tropical Hawaiian Butters, and Leonardo e Roberto's Gourmet Blends. That list dates to May, and vendors at a weekly market change over time.

The summer drop matters for the argument that follows. A market that drew more than 2,000 people at launch and then settled at a smaller regular crowd still has to cover the full cost of closing the street each week.

The price of turning a street into a market

The street doesn't close by itself. Barriers have to be set up at both ends, signs posted, and someone has to run the operation. OurNRB reports that weekly proceeds now cover its direct operating costs, which include a market manager and rented Meridian traffic barriers. It is also putting money aside for possible shortfalls in winter.

The barriers are a sponsorship opportunity too. Before launch, Easy Reader reported that OurNRB was offering advertising space on the rented traffic barriers, which cost $850 to $1,000 per week. Startup costs for banners, tables, and traffic-control gear were covered by South Bay Credit Union and the North Redondo Beach Business Association.

The City helped at the start too. In April, the Council waived about $2,365 in permit fees and street-signage costs for the pilot. Vendors who come back week after week still need individual business licenses. According to the April staff report, the street-closure permit alone came to $1,011 for the six-month pilot. One of the questions now in front of the Council is whether those waivers carry over into a longer run or whether the regular fees start applying.

Bollards: the permanent option

To lower that weekly cost, OurNRB has asked the City to reconsider removable bollards where Green Lane meets Artesia Boulevard and where it meets Vanderbilt Lane. The staff report notes that a permanent street-closure setup could reduce recurring market expenses and send more of the market's proceeds into neighborhood improvements.

In June, the City priced four options in its FY 2026-27 Budget Response Report No. 42:

The cheapest permanent option costs less than a tenth of the most expensive one. The June Council budget discussions also took up the idea of letting the pilot finish and reviewing its results before committing to bollards. Whether staff should do more engineering and cost work on bollards is the fourth question the October report puts to the Council.

Storage is part of the same problem. Some of the market's gear has been kept in an electrical room closet on library property. Staff call that a priority to fix and suggest two possibilities: an outdoor shed or enclosure, or having the barrier vendor drop off and pick up the barriers every week. A shed could take away some parking at the library or Community Services lot.

A winter plan built to keep the regulars

OurNRB's request for year-round operation reads like a plan to hold on to the habit Mitchell described in April, through the darker months. The proposal includes:

1. The same day and hours. Wednesdays, 2 to 7 p.m., with no market during the weeks of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's.
2. Lighting at the booths so the market works after the November time change shortens the afternoons.
3. A weather rule. The market stays open in light rain and can cancel for severe storms, usually deciding the day before.
4. Reasons to stay longer. Low-volume music and more activities so people stick around to eat and visit while kids play.
5. More of Artesia involved. Wider collaboration with local businesses, community groups, and artisan vendors along the commercial corridor.

The staff report observes that some of these features go beyond what the pilot allowed, and it leaves room for the Council to add conditions. Even so, every item points the same way. Keeping the market's hours and its regulars through the winter is cheaper than winning them back in spring, and the barriers cost the same either way.

What the block gained over six months

The strongest case for the market came from its next-door neighbor. On market days, the North Branch Library saw measurable increases in visits, checkouts, and new library card sign-ups, even with limited public parking.

Complaints were few. As of the report, staff had received one complaint from nearby residents, about shoppers putting trash in neighbors' bins, and OurNRB added more disposal spots.

The market has also turned into a meeting point for local groups. The report lists the Redondo Beach Education Foundation's annual fundraising campaign, outreach by the South Bay Bicycle Coalition and the Redondo Beach Police Department, joint promotions with Georgia's Restaurant through the business association, and a Halloween fundraiser planned by the Redondo Beach Little League PCH 12U team. Beach Cities Health District has discussed future walking, nutrition, and wellness activities with the organizers. Accepting EBT payments is being explored but is not yet part of the program.

All of this connects back to cost. OurNRB says it was set up to put market proceeds back into the Artesia and Aviation corridor, through things like street trees, benches, artwork, and cleanups. Its first idea is outdoor seating near the library and Community Services building. Staff point out there is little space in the public right-of-way, so seating would have to go on City property, and no plan, cost estimate, or schedule has been set. No detailed financial statement was included in the report either. Lower closure costs would leave more of the proceeds available for projects like that seating.

Your next few Wednesdays

City staff support continuing the market, and OurNRB representatives were scheduled to present at the October 20 meeting. The Council's decision on whether to continue, for how long, and with which fees will shape what Green Lane looks like after October 28. The market's website, nrbfarmersmarket.org, and the City's farmers market page are the places to check the current schedule.

A few practical points for the meantime:

• Green Lane is closed between Artesia and Vanderbilt during market hours. As Patch reported at launch, parking is in the surrounding neighborhood, with two ADA spaces next to the market.
• The library parking lot has stayed open during the market, which matters if a book pickup is part of your trip.
• The organizers are asking for help. In a September letter to Easy Reader, OurNRB board member Wayne Craig wrote that the market needs shoppers, volunteers for setup and takedown, and word of mouth, and that "every bit of support helps cover the weekly expenses."

The market is one piece of a busier Artesia Boulevard this year. The Daily Breeze previewed the North Redondo Dine Around ARTesia & ARTwalk, set for July 29 and August 20 with more than 30 participating restaurants, cafes, and businesses along the corridor. For a coastal counterpart, our guide to Redondo Beach's summer evenings covers the Thursday market near the pier, and the Redondo Beach neighborhood page has more about the city as a whole.

A weekly market, regular events, and a corridor plan with money behind it all shape how a neighborhood feels to live in, and over time how buyers see it. If you live near Artesia and want to know how changes like these figure into your home's value, Amy Pearce follows the corridor closely and is glad to talk it through. Start with a free home valuation.