Friday is Moving Day for Farmers Market in The Village

With a new logo and map, city officials Tuesday highlighted this week’s move of the La Mesa Village Farmers Market to a new location. 

The controversial change of venue—to a site west of the current location in The Village—means a change of habits for shoppers and vendors at the 2-6 p.m. Friday event, expanded from the previous 3-6 p.m.

“The market will relocate a couple of blocks west to La Mesa Civic Center on Date Avenue near the intersection of Spring Street and University Avenue, across Date Avenue from City Hall and the new police headquarters,” said the city in a press release. 

The city website promises five new food vendors, 14 arts and crafts vendors and “ample free parking.”

The city has sponsored the Farmers Market since it opened in 1993 in a municipal parking lot on Allison Avenue north of La Mesa Boulevard.

Officials on Tuesday said the move is “to provide more parking resources for local merchants in preparation for the planned streetscape improvement project in The Village starting next year.”

Constraints of the former site also prevented the market from growing, the city said, “despite its popularity and established reputation.”

The new site in the Civic Center area “offers ample free parking and allows the market to add five new hot-food vendors and an arts and crafts section,” the city said. 

In mid-March, the move was first revealed by the city’s community development program coordinator at a meeting of the La Mesa Village Merchants Association.

Chris Gonzales, the coordinator, said the market would spill onto Nebo Drive parallel to the trolley tracks.

But the move was a surprise to local merchants, some of whom objected loudly and publicly.

Gonzales said in mid-March that 19-20 vendors operate in the market now, but that 63 were on a waiting list should any spaces open up. The popular market’s busy season extends from April through August.

Gonzales said the La Mesa Village Merchants Association and the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce had not been consulted about the change.