Farmers Market Coming to Downtown Encinitas

Encinitas will soon have a Wednesday night farmers market in the public parking lot on the southwest corner of E Street and Vulcan Avenue.

The city has rental rates for its parks and recreation facilities — but because this farmers market will be in a public parking lot, city staff had to draft new rental rates for that. Wednesday night, the Encinitas City Council unanimously voted to approve those new rental rates.

The new rental rates for farmers markets will apply to properties that the city owns or operates — like the parking lot in this case, which is owned by North County Transit District (NCTD) but managed by the city under a long-term lease. Under the new rental fee structure, nonprofit groups will pay $75 and for-profit groups will pay $130. 

The (DEMA) is behind this farmers market, aims to bolster foot-traffic in the area while giving residents more access to fresh, local produce. DEMA anticipates launching the market by springtime.

May through September, the farmers market will run from 5 to 8 p.m.—and October through April, it will run from 4 to 7 p.m. The farmers market will likely take up about two-thirds of the 80-space parking lot, according to a city staff report.

This will be Encinitas’ second farmers market. Every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. there is another farmers market in Leucadia at Paul Ecke Elementary on Union Street. 

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