The North Redondo Beach Farmers Market could outlast its six-month pilot if the Redondo Beach City Council votes Tuesday, Oct. 20, to let it keep running year-round.
The market, organized by local nonprofit OurNRB, opened April 22 on Green Lane between Artesia Boulevard and Vanderbilt Lane. Its pilot is set to end Oct. 28. City staff recommends the council authorize continued operations, according to a staff report prepared by Elizabeth Hause, the city's Waterfront and Community Services director.
The market drew an estimated 2,000 to 2,300 visitors each Wednesday during its first two months. Attendance dropped over the summer, particularly during heat waves, but organizers told the city a regular customer base has formed and the market now covers its own operating expenses. About 30 to 35 vendors participate weekly, including businesses from across the South Bay.
Patch first reported on the council's upcoming consideration.
OurNRB has not provided detailed financial statements to the city, the staff report notes. Startup costs for banners, tables and traffic-control devices were covered by sponsorships from South Bay Credit Union and the North Redondo Beach Business Association. Weekly proceeds pay for the market manager and rental of Meridian traffic barriers, and organizers say they are setting aside reserves for winter shortfalls.
The council faces several spending questions. OurNRB has asked the city to install removable bollards at the Green Lane intersections with Artesia Boulevard and Vanderbilt Lane to replace the temporary street closures required each week. A June 2026 budget report evaluated four options: manually removable fixed bollards at an estimated $35,000, a portable vehicle-barrier system at $150,000, manually retractable hydraulic bollards at $360,000 and automatic retractable bollards at $385,000.
No installation has been approved.
The city also needs to resolve where market equipment is stored. Some materials have been kept in the North Branch Library's electrical room, and the staff report calls that a priority to address. Options include requiring the traffic-control vendor to haul barriers in and out each week or building a permanent storage shed, which could reduce parking at the library or Community Services lot.
Council members will also decide whether to keep waiving permit and signage fees. The original six-month waivers totaled about $2,365.
The market has boosted the North Branch Library. The staff report says the library recorded increased visits, material circulation and library card sign-ups on market days, even as limited parking posed challenges. Only one neighbor complaint was filed during the pilot, related to market visitors using residents' trash bins. OurNRB addressed the issue by adding more trash stations.
If the council extends the market, OurNRB plans to keep operating Wednesdays from 2 to 7 p.m. with closures during Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's weeks. The nonprofit also wants to add low-volume music, booth lighting for shorter winter days and the ability to accept Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) payments. Organizers are exploring outdoor seating near the library, though no plan, cost estimate or installation schedule has been finalized.
The market sits within the Artesia and Aviation Corridors Area Plan zone. As we previously reported, Redondo Beach voters are also weighing taller buildings along the same Artesia corridor.
OurNRB representatives will attend Tuesday's council meeting to answer questions about the market's finances and winter plans.
