Green markets are a staple of many towns in the area: West Palm Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton - to name a few. But for some unknown reason, Boynton Beach has lacked its own green market for quite some time. That is until today. Sunday, October 19, marks the first Boynton green market in what may have been years. It was all brought together by Michelle and her sister, vendors themselves, who decided to take action and organize this new market.
I wasn’t going to miss this inaugural opening of the Boynton Green Market, so I hustled down there with camera and drone in hand and no particular expectations. If you prefer to watch the video I made, click here.
The temperature was in the mid 80s and the sky partly cloudy. The market is in the parking lot of the Boynton Beach Mall, in front of Dillards. I grapped my equipment from the back of my car and marched into the market, eager to see what was selling. In all, there were nearly 20 vendors set up, each with their own tent.
Overall, there seemed to be a constant flux of about 40-50 people. Men, women, and children were coming and going and it seemed like everyone was enjoying the new market. Fortunately, parking is very plentiful (and free) and it’s an ideal spot, being close to Congress Ave and Old Boynton Road. Vendors sold such goodies as fruit, honey, bread, popcorn, and my favorite, Mediterranean-style food. There were also vendors selling artisan crafts and flowers. You can definitely pick up high-quality farmer’s-market-type food, as seen in the photo below.
At one point I began talking to a young woman taking pictures next to me. It turned out, of all people, to be Michelle, the organizer of the market. We then struck up a conversation and she informed me of all the green market details. She said that she and her sister have been trying to get this market going since January. One reason for the long wait is getting the correct permits from the city. Being a vendor herself, Michelle knows quite a lot of other vendors and enticed some of them to join this market. Going forward, the Boynton Green Market will be held every other Sunday into the foreseeable future.
I say “foreseeable” because rumors exist that the Boynton Beach Mall will be knocked down in favor of a residential community that will fit 2,500 homes. The entire Boynton Beach Mall area is roughly 100 acres, so it’s a huge space. Personally, I feel a bit of nostalgia for the mall and I don’t want to see it go away, but its foot traffic has been woeful for years. Struggling properties around here get demolished fast, usually for apartments or shopping. If the mall goes, the Green Market will need to find a new home. But today we’ve got a fantastic market right here in Boynton. So please come out in two weeks to show your support and have some fun.