West Palm Beach GreenMarket hits trifecta! Ranked best green market in nation for 2023
Eddie Ritz
The New York Yankees, Chicago Bulls, Montreal Canadiens and now the West Palm Beach GreenMarket. What do they have in common? They know the glory of the three-peat.
For the third straight year, the West Palm Beach GreenMarket has been named the No. 1 green market in the entire United States.
Based once again on the USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice poll, the city's green market finished ahead of Collingswood Farmers' Market in Collingswood, New Jersey and the third place finisher Green City Market in Chicago.
"We are honored to be once again named the ‘Best Farmers Market’ in the country,” said West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James, in a written statement. “We are grateful to our community for making this possible, especially those who participate and support our market week after week, including our vendors, sponsors and marketgoers. I’d also like to thank our Community Events Division for putting together such an impressive market year after year.”
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Started in 1995 by then West Palm Beach Mayor Nancy Graham, the market has gotten bigger and better nearly every year.
Beginning with only 13 vendors all those years ago, the West Palm Beach GreenMarket had 110 last season and is slated for 125 when it officially reopens in October.
The market's mission is to support the southeast Florida agricultural community and to be an outlet for locally grown crops along with specialty products.
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In addition to the finest, freshest produce, visitors will find fresh seafood, baked goods, locally sourced honey, locally roasted coffee, smoothies, ice cream, plants, orchids, artisanal soaps, handmade jewelry and much, much more.
Though normally shut down during the summer, the West Palm Beach GreenMarket held three pop-up events in June on Thursday nights that coincided with Clematis by Night. This was done in celebration after being nominated to the Top 10. These were so successful that organizers decided to extend them through Aug. 31. They are from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursdays.
After that they will be closed for several weeks before officially kicking off the 2023-24 season on Oct. 7.
Eddie Ritz is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He has lived in the West Palm Beach area for more than 30 years and, from mild to wild, will cover noteworthy community happenings. You can reach him at eritz@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.