CARLSBAD: Saturday farmers' market may change its hours

By BARBARA HENRY - Staff Writer | Sunday, November 30, 2008 4:08 PM PST ∞

CARLSBAD ---- A downtown farmers' market that is held on Saturday mornings may shift its operating hours to the afternoon in hopes of booking more fruit and vegetable sellers.

The city's Design Review Board unanimously endorsed the plan last month, and the City Council, in its role as the city's Housing and Redevelopment Commission, is expected to consider the topic in mid-December, said Debbie Fountain, Carlsbad's housing and redevelopment director.

Carlsbad has two farmers' markets. There's a Wednesday afternoon one, which runs from 1 to 5 p.m., and there's the Saturday market, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Both are sponsored by the Carlsbad Village Business Association and held in a city-owned parking lot at 2930 Roosevelt St.

The Wednesday afternoon market has been very successful, but the Saturday morning event has struggled. Critics have long said that it looks more like a "flea market" than a farmers' market, arguing that there aren't enough booths selling produce.

Carlsbad market manager Christy Johnson said last week that she has tried to book more fruit and vegetable sellers, but has discovered that there's too much regional competition for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. time slot. Nearby Vista has a large farmers market on Saturday, in the parking lot of the North County court house on South Melrose Drive.

"On Saturday there are nine farmers' markets (in the region) ---- it's the busiest time for farmers' markets the whole week," she said.

The new proposal calls for opening the Carlsbad market at 1 p.m. on Saturdays and closing at 5 p.m. That might work better, several produce vendors who participate in the Wednesday market said last week.

Tomato seller Lulu Valdivia of Carlsbad's Valdivia Farms said her mom can't sell at the Saturday market now because she does Pacific Beach's Saturday morning market. If Carlsbad changed its hours, her mom could do both, she said.

Maria Auilar, who sells flowers at the Wednesday market, said she can't come now because she does the Vista farmers' market on Saturday mornings. She would do both if Carlsbad changed its hours, she said.

Other vendors said they weren't sure they could make it, saying they would need to bring in an extra crew because they're already doing multiple markets that day.

While some market sellers appeared interested in the new hours proposal, at least one nearby business owner isn't happy about it.

Joyce Wise, who operates the Artist Salon & Gallery directly across the street from the market, said she hasn't been impressed with the quality of the Saturday market and she doesn't believe the operating hours change would improve the situation.

She's been lobbying to have the city eliminate the Saturday market, saying it competes with local businesses and occupies prime public parking space that her customers would like to use.

Contact staff writer Barbara Henry at (760) 901-4072 or bhenry@nctimes.com. Comment at nctimes.com.