The Delray Beach GreenMarket opens its 31st winter season at 9 a.m. on Saturday, October 24, at the Old School Square campus, 51 N. Swinton Avenue. Shortly before that, a line of costumed riders leaves City Hall heading for the same address. The 15th Annual Witches of Delray Ride runs from 8 to 11 a.m., starting at City Hall and ending at Old School Square. Kidsfest starts on the campus at 11. At 1 p.m., the Halloween Parade heads up from Federal to join it.
Two weeks later, on November 7, the market shares the campus again, this time with Art on the Square. On each of these Saturdays, several events share one campus in overlapping time slots. The events are free and the published hours are fixed, so the best way to plan either day is by the hour.
October 24, Hour by Hour
These hours come straight from the published schedules from the Downtown Delray Beach Development Authority and the Delray Beach CRA.
| Time | What's running | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 8–9 a.m. | Witches of Delray Ride | City Hall to Old School Square |
| 9–11 a.m. | Ride wraps up as the GreenMarket opens | Old School Square |
| 11 a.m.–1 p.m. | GreenMarket, Kidsfest, Trick-or-Treating on the Avenue | Old School Square and Atlantic Avenue |
| 1 p.m. | Halloween Parade | Federal to Old School Square |
| 1–2 p.m. | GreenMarket's final hour alongside Kidsfest | Old School Square |
| 2–3 p.m. | Kidsfest only | Old School Square |
Every hour of the market's opening day overlaps with some part of Halloween. The 11-to-1 slot is the busiest, with three things running at once across two locations. Trick-or-treating with participating merchants runs along Atlantic Avenue from 11 to 1. Kidsfest is already underway on the campus, with food, vendors, arts and crafts, and entertainment. The DDA's listing describes the Halloween route as "Trick-or-treat → Parade → Kidsfest!" That route ends on the same grounds where the market's vendors are set up.
Kidsfest is free. The Witches Ride benefits the Achievement Centers for Children & Families, and registration goes through the event's online form.
The published listings don't say how the campus will be divided. The GreenMarket and Kidsfest both list only the 51 N. Swinton Avenue address. Neither listing names a lawn or a street edge. The CRA says any GreenMarket closures for citywide events will be posted on the market's webpage and its social media. Check those, including @delraygreenmarket on Instagram, the week of the 24th.
What the Market Brings to Opening Day
On opening day, the GreenMarket's set hours and its vendors set the plan for the morning. According to the CRA's September 30 announcement, more than 70 local growers, makers and food vendors will set up every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. through May 22, 2027. An older DDA event listing still says 50-plus vendors. The CRA runs the market, and its announcement is the newer of the two.
The lineup includes locally grown produce, grass-fed beef, fresh-caught seafood, just-picked citrus, tropical fruit and juice, eggs, artisan cheese and jams, and baked goods. Gluten-free, vegan and organic options are available, along with cut flowers and plants. Live music runs through the morning. The CRA describes a food area where vendors cook on site and diners can sit down. On October 24, the parade arrives at 1 p.m., so this area will be serving food during Kidsfest.
SNAP benefits are accepted. Start at the EBT booth, swipe your card for tokens, and spend the tokens on eligible items. The market also reserves space for nonprofit vendors and rotating small businesses. The CRA started the market in 1996.
The second Saturday of the season is October 31, which is Halloween itself. The market's calendar lists its usual 9-to-2 hours that day. Downtown's organized Halloween events are all on the 24th, so the 31st is currently listed as a regular market day.
November 7 Follows the Same Pattern on a Different Schedule
Art on the Square returns to the Cornell Art Museum's historic grounds on Saturday, November 7, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday, November 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The show features work by more than 50 juried artists from across the country, and admission is free. The event page lists the Old School Square Amphitheatre as its location. Like the market's listing, it doesn't include a booth map.
Here is how that Saturday breaks down by hour:
- 9 to 10 a.m. The GreenMarket is the only thing on the campus.
- 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The market and the art show run side by side.
- 2 to 5 p.m. The art show continues after the market packs up.
- Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The art show runs a second day with no market.
On November 7, the market gets the campus to itself for one hour, and the art show has it alone for three hours that afternoon. Sunday, November 8, has the art show without the market, and that evening has a separate show at Arts Garage, covered in the last section below.
Why the Lawn Carries So Much This Fall
The City describes Old School Square as its cultural arts center. The campus includes the Cornell Art Museum, the Crest Theatre, a vintage gym, and an outdoor Pavilion that the City says hosts concerts and festivals. This fall, one of those indoor venues is offline. The Crest Theatre is closed for renovations. Its 323-seat auditorium was originally a high school auditorium and is being rebuilt as a performance space. The City's project listing describes modernizing the auditorium, the stage, the backstage areas and the dressing rooms.
That puts more of this season's programming on the outdoor grounds and inside the Cornell. The Cornell opened "River of Grass" on October 1. It features fiber installations by 12 artists and runs through January 24, 2027. Admission is free, and Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On either double-booked Saturday, the museum gives you a free indoor stop on the same campus. On November 7, its Saturday hours exactly match the art show outside.
Getting There Before 11 a.m.
Both of these Saturdays start early. On October 24, the ride starts at 8 a.m. and the market opens at 9. On November 7, the market opens at 9 and the art show at 10. Delray's free downtown option starts later. The City's on-demand Freebee service is free within the downtown service area and runs on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. You can book a ride in the app, call, or flag down a driver. So on October 24, Freebee isn't running for the Witches Ride or the market's first two hours. It does cover trick-or-treating, the parade and Kidsfest.
If you're driving in for the morning, here are the options:
- Old School Square Garage at 95 NE 1st Avenue, listed by the DDA at $1.50 an hour.
- Short stops qualify for the first 20 minutes free downtown when you start the session by ParkMobile or kiosk. ParkMobile still adds a $0.35 transaction fee.
- Free parking is available on some side streets and in lots more than a block from Atlantic Avenue, according to the DDA.
The Halloween event listings don't mention road closures. The City posts advisories weekly on Thursdays on social media. Check on Thursday, October 22, before the Halloween Saturday, and on Thursday, November 5, before Art on the Square. The garage rate and Freebee hours come from City and DDA pages that don't carry a publication date, so check both again before you head out.
After the Two Big Saturdays
Once the November art weekend is over, downtown's calendar spreads out. Arts Garage at 94 NE 2nd Avenue stages "Behind The Lines: A 9/11 Story" on Sunday, November 8, at 7 p.m. That evening follows the final day of Art on the Square. It also has "Letters Aloud: Thanks but No Thanks" on Sunday, December 6, at 7 p.m. In between, the City lights its 100-foot Christmas tree on December 1, with the Yuletide Street Fair running from 6 to 9 p.m. Santa lights the tree, and the fair has food, music, vendors and holiday activities. The GreenMarket keeps its 9-to-2 Saturday schedule through all of it, and its winter season runs until May 22, 2027.
Downtown Delray's fall calendar moves quickly, and closures and shuttle hours can change from one week to the next. Michelle Nelson - FL follows these local details for clients across Palm Beach County. If you have questions about life near Old School Square or anywhere else in Delray Beach, Schedule Your Free Consultation.
