The Delray Beach GreenMarket opens its 31st winter season this Saturday, October 24, at the Old School Square campus. It runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. That same morning, Downtown Delray holds its full Halloween program, and two of its biggest pieces end up on the same campus at 51 N. Swinton Ave.
Line the schedules up and every one of the market's five hours overlaps with something else. For the first two hours the witches are riding in. For the last three, Kidsfest is running. Opening day is a shared Saturday, and the fall calendar shows it will not be the last one.
Five Hours, Each One Shared
This is the published Halloween schedule laid against the market's hours.
| Time | GreenMarket | Also on or near the campus |
|---|---|---|
| 8 to 9 a.m. | Not yet open | Witches of Delray Ride starts at City Hall |
| 9 to 11 a.m. | Open | Ride continues and finishes at Old School Square |
| 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Open | Kidsfest on campus, trick-or-treating on Atlantic Avenue |
| 1 to 2 p.m. | Open | Halloween Parade arrives from Federal, Kidsfest continues |
| 2 to 3 p.m. | Closed | Kidsfest wraps up |
The market and the witches share two hours. The market and Kidsfest share three. No hour of the market day belongs to the market alone.
The First Two Hours Belong to the Riders
The 15th Annual Witches of Delray Ride runs from 8 to 11 a.m. It starts at City Hall and ends at Old School Square, and riders have to register in advance. Proceeds go to the Achievement Centers for Children & Families. Atlantic Ave Magazine puts this year's field at about 300 witches.
The Palm Beach Post published the route. It's worth knowing if you plan to walk to the market or cross Swinton with a bag of citrus:
- Start at Delray Beach City Hall, 100 NW First Ave.
- North on NW First Ave.
- East on NW Third St.
- South on N. Swinton Ave.
- East on Atlantic Ave. to US 1
- Back west on Atlantic Ave.
- North on NE Second Ave. to NE Third St., around the roundabout
- Back along NE Third St. to Old School Square
N. Swinton runs along the market's own block, and the ride finishes at the campus itself. If you get there at 9 a.m., you are shopping as the costumed riders pull in. The Post says riders must be at least 16. So the early crowd is mostly adults, and this is the calmer of the two windows for anyone who came for produce.
From Eleven to Two, the Campus Shares With Kidsfest
At 11 a.m. the morning turns into a family event. Kidsfest runs at Old School Square from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with food, vendors, arts and crafts, and entertainment. Trick-or-Treating on the Avenue runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with participating merchants. The Boca Raton Tribune published the Downtown Development Authority's announcement, which says Atlantic Avenue will be closed to traffic during trick-or-treating.
The Halloween Parade starts at 1 p.m. and runs from Federal to Old School Square. Downtown Delray bills it with the line "You ARE the parade," so anyone in costume can join the walk to Kidsfest. The parade arrives during the market's last hour, which makes 1 to 2 p.m. the busiest stretch of the day on campus.
If you're bringing children, the overlap helps. The market has a food area where vendors cook on site, with seating, according to the Delray Beach CRA's season announcement. Kidsfest adds its own food and vendors next to it. A family can do trick-or-treating, the parade, Kidsfest and a market lunch in one trip. Downtown Delray describes the day the same way: "Trick-or-treat → Parade → Kidsfest!"
If you want a quiet produce run, go early. Neither the CRA nor Old School Square lists exactly where the market and Kidsfest will set up on the campus. So assume they will be close together.
Getting In on a Day With a Closed Avenue
Parking is the open question. When Boca Post wrote up the Halloween program on October 2, it reported that the event materials included no road closures or parking guidance. The City of Delray Beach posts weekly traffic advisories on its social media every Thursday. This week, that is Thursday, October 22, and that advisory is where any Saturday closures beyond the 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Atlantic Avenue window will show up.
From what has been published, Atlantic Avenue is closed for two hours at midday. The ride uses N. Swinton, NW Third, Atlantic, NE Second and NE Third between 8 and 11 a.m. The parade moves from Federal toward the campus at 1 p.m. If you live within walking distance of 51 N. Swinton Ave., this is a good Saturday to leave the car at home.
What Opens Under All of That
Once the costumes are gone, the market is back to its usual form. The CRA started the GreenMarket in 1996 and runs it in two seasons. This winter season goes every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. through May 22, 2027. The CRA's announcement says more than 70 local growers, makers and food vendors will take part. It lists locally grown produce, grass-fed beef, fresh-caught seafood, just-picked citrus, tropical fruit and juice, farm-fresh eggs, artisan cheese and jams, and baked goods, plus gluten-free, vegan and organic options, cut flowers, plants and live music through the morning. SNAP benefits are accepted.
There's also room for nonprofits and rotating vendors. Small businesses that can't commit to a full or half season can book pop-up spaces. So some stalls on opening day may not be there the next week, and new ones can appear later in the season.
The following Saturday, October 31, is the first week the market is scheduled to run with nothing else on its published hours. After that, the campus starts filling up again.
November Keeps Sharing the Campus
The overlap on opening day is the most crowded version of a pattern that continues through the fall. Old School Square is also home to the Cornell Art Museum and the Vintage Gym, and the November calendar puts events in both on market Saturdays.
- Friday, November 6: The First Friday Art Walk runs from 6 to 9 p.m. at downtown galleries and cultural centers.
- Saturday, November 7, and Sunday, November 8: The Art on the Square Fine Art Show returns to the Cornell Art Museum at Old School Square. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. On Saturday, that covers four of the market's five hours.
- Thursday, November 19, through Saturday, November 21: The Southern Handcraft Society's 33rd Annual Art & Craft Show takes over the Vintage Gym at Old School Square. Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. That matches the market's hours exactly.
- Saturday, November 21: The 40th Annual Delray Beach Turkey Trot 5K runs from 6:30 to 9 a.m. at Anchor Park, 340 S. Ocean Blvd. The race starts at 7:30 a.m. It wraps up by 9, so runners can finish at the beach and then head to the market and the craft show on Swinton.
- November 28 through December 31: Downtown Delray's Shop Small Holiday Rewards Pass gives points for visits to participating businesses. The points can be redeemed for downtown gift cards.
Three of the season's first five Saturdays, October 24, November 7 and November 21, share the market's hours with another event on the Old School Square campus.
If you're deciding how to spend Saturday mornings this season, or thinking about how close to Old School Square you'd like to live, Renee Strack is happy to talk through how the downtown calendar plays out block by block. Let's Connect.
