"It's the first day, but what sustains a market is not coming on the first day, it's coming every week and getting in the habit of, 'OK, I have my favorite produce, I have my honey guy,'" Teresa Mitchell told Easy Reader on April 22, the market's opening afternoon on Green Lane. Mitchell is CEO and chief financial officer of OurNRB, the nonprofit that runs the North Redondo Beach Certified Farmers Market.
Five months later, her point is the whole question. The market is a six-month pilot running April 22 through October 28, 2026. Counting today, six Wednesdays are left. What comes next depends on how much gets bought at those booths each week, and that same money is supposed to pay for trees, benches and art along Artesia Boulevard.
Opening day beat the forecast by a wide margin
The launch went well. Organizers said more than 2,000 people came by the 20-plus booths on opening day, compared with the 300 to 700 visitors OurNRB had expected. Some vendors sold out. Angel Iturbide of Markowicz Farms said he brought four boxes of eggs expecting them to last the day and was "basically out" about two hours in.
A crowd that size is a one-day number, and the city's pilot plan was never built to judge the market on one day. The staff report called for a midpoint review after three months and a full evaluation at the end of six months "to determine whether the NRBFM can transition into a permanent program." No public results from the midpoint review have turned up in the local press or on the city's agenda pages. We also found no announcement of an extension or a permanent market after October 28.
What has been published is a request. In a letter printed by Easy Reader on September 15, OurNRB board member Wayne Craig wrote that North Redondo residents had talked about a farmers market "for more than a decade," and that "now, we need the community's help to make sure it continues." He asked for shoppers, for volunteers to help with setup and takedown, and for residents and businesses to spread the word, adding that "every bit of support helps cover the weekly expenses."
How the money moves on Green Lane
The weekly costs matter because of how the market is paid for. Vendors pay OurNRB a fee based on a percentage of their sales. The organizer takes in money only when vendors sell something. A block full of browsers who don't buy anything brings in nothing.
The city kept startup costs low. For the pilot, staff listed about $2,365 in permit and signage costs:
| Item | Cost listed for the pilot |
|---|---|
| Street closure, six months | $1,011 |
| Event permit | $55 |
| Tent permit | $169 |
| Street banner, two weeks in April and May | $650 |
| No-parking signs, about eight | $480 |
| Vendor business licenses | Not set, depends on participation |
Staff supported waiving all of those costs except business licenses. Regular vendors would still get individual licenses so sales tax could be tracked. The report tied the waiver to the city's Strategic Plan Goal 1.2, which is to revitalize Artesia Boulevard. South Bay Credit Union and the North Redondo Beach Business Association signed on as founding and contributing sponsors.
Where the money goes is the part that reaches past Wednesday afternoons. OurNRB was formed to maintain and improve the Artesia and Aviation Corridors Area Plan district. The city report says market proceeds will go to street trees, benches, artwork, cleanups and community gatherings. Projects will be chosen with community input and need city approval when they are on public property. Before opening day, organizer Jim Mueller told the Daily Breeze about possible projects such as murals on Artesia storefronts and a North Redondo community center for local art shows. These were ideas at the time, not finished work, and no accounting of proceeds has been published yet.
So a bag of sourdough or a dozen eggs on Green Lane does three things. It pays the vendor, it covers part of OurNRB's weekly costs, and a small share goes toward the corridor improvements the group was set up to fund.
The Wednesdays left, and a few October dates nearby
The market runs from 2 to 7 p.m. on Green Lane between Artesia Boulevard and Vanderbilt Lane, next to the North Branch Library. The remaining pilot dates:
- Wednesday, September 23
- Wednesday, September 30
- Wednesday, October 7
- Wednesday, October 14
- Wednesday, October 21
- Wednesday, October 28, the last scheduled day of the pilot
A few city events land in the same weeks. On Saturday, October 3, the city is holding a free compost giveaway from 8 a.m. to noon at Hopkins Wilderness Park, 1102 Camino Real. On Saturday, October 17, Pumpkins in the Park runs from 3 to 6 p.m. at Perry Park, 2301 Grant Avenue, with games, prizes, treats, a costume parade and a photo booth. On Saturday, October 24, the city's free household hazardous waste and document shredding event runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center parking lot at 1935 Manhattan Beach Blvd.
We haven't found any announced plans for the final market week. If OurNRB posts something, its site at nrbfarmersmarket.org is the place to check.
What's on the block and how to get there
During the pilot, sales are limited to food and nursery products. Mitchell told Easy Reader that the farmers are certified as producers of what they sell, and that L.A. County Public Health certifies the vendors selling packaged or prepared food.
OurNRB hasn't published a current vendor list, so the best record is Easy Reader's opening-day story. Lineups change over a season, so treat these names from April 22 as a starting point:
- Produce and farm goods: Markowicz Farms eggs, Avila and Sons Farms, Vicente Family Farm, Jesus Castellano's Fresh Produce, Burkart Organics, Torres Garden
- Baked goods and coffee: Small Axe Bread sourdough, Cinnies cinnamon rolls, Del Cid Coffee's Guatemalan coffee
- Prepared food: Original Tamale Co., Onimon rice balls, Landoughs pizza, Zaiqa Kitchens Indian fusion, Maria's Catering & Kettle Corn
- Pantry and treats: Brother's Products hummus, Gourmet Blends oils and balsamic vinegar, Bee Wild Collective raw honey, Likohina's Tropical Butters, High Society Meats, Antipastila, Mix It Up Ice Cream
On opening day, longtime residents Kathleen and Jessica Altobelli walked less than a mile from home and bought tamales, almond butter and hummus. Kathleen said they had "already decided what we're going to buy next week."
For drivers: Green Lane is closed between Artesia and Vanderbilt during market hours. The market's site points shoppers to neighborhood street parking and lists two ADA spaces. Under the city's pilot plan, the North Branch Library and Community Services parking lots stay open to the public while the market runs. We haven't found a published pet policy or confirmation that EBT or CalFresh is accepted. Ask at the market booth.
One piece of a bigger push on Artesia
The market is one of several recent efforts to bring more foot traffic to Artesia. The North Redondo Beach Business Association's fifth annual Dine Around ARTesia, run with the Redondo Beach Art Group, drew more than 220 people on July 29. Nineteen businesses and 25 artists took part, and a second night followed on August 20. Robin Garfield, the association's vice president, described the goal as getting "people [to] walk into businesses and experience them firsthand."
This year's newcomers on the boulevard included Vanity Salon and Mickey's Italian Deli & Pizzeria. Mickey's opened its second location, after the original in Hermosa Beach, at 2716 Artesia Blvd. near Inglewood Avenue at the end of February. It's a short drive west of Green Lane if you want a sandwich before the market's 7 p.m. close.
Craig described the market as "part of a larger effort to create new opportunities and improvements for our neighborhood." The benches, trees and murals in that effort depend on market proceeds, and those proceeds depend on sales at the booths between now and October 28. After that date, OurNRB's full evaluation decides whether the market becomes permanent.
If you're a Green Lane regular and want to know how things like a permanent market or the Artesia improvements could change life nearby, Colin Aita is happy to talk it through. Contact Colin for a private, no-pressure consultation.
