Photos by Medina Kabir.
Monday marked the grand opening of a farmer’s market in North Long Beach and despite a chilly afternoon locals stopped by Houghton Park to shop, listen to live music and join in on a free yoga session.
With the addition of the new market, located at the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Harding Street, there’s now one every day of the week throughout the Long Beach area.
Community Invited to Celebrate Opening of First Houghton Park Farmers Market
The selection of groceries provided at the market had customers seemingly satisfied with the sweet tasting vibrant red strawberries, blood oranges, apples, potatoes, dates, beans avocados and more.
The market also had a food court with prepared items such as lemonade, European yogurt, popcorn, peanuts, tamales, guacamole dips and handmade pitas.
Vice Mayor Rex Richardson made an appearance and expressed his excitement for North Long Beach’s new market. He called it a welcoming and safe environment filled with great residents.
“People should not be afraid to go to any part of our city, I think they need get to know the community, because there’s really nothing to be afraid of,” Richardson said. “We have some great things going on in our community to enjoy.”
Richardson revealed the possibility of adding a beer garden once a month to the farmer’s market, in which case security would be provided and the market’s hours would be extended later into the evening.
“The addition of the Houghton Park Farmers Market is a welcome addition to the renaissance taking place in Uptown!” said Richardson.
EBT vouchers will be distributed for SNAP benefits using the EBT card. People using their EBT cards are also eligible for a “market match” which gives matching funds to buy fresh produce up to $10, according to the farmer’s market organizers.
The market will open every Monday from 2:00PM-6:00PM during the winter. Their summer hours will be from 3:00PM-7:00PM. Parking can be found on the street or the park parking lot.