Replanted Near Police Station, Farmers Market Produces Praise in Debut

The city’s Chris Gonzales stained his shirt moving flowers from a truck to a booth early Friday afternoon while helping vendors find their places and set up the La Mesa Farmers Market.

But he was OK with that. The event he had promoted had a clean start.

In its first change of venue in 18 years, the weekly market drew steady crowds and shopper praise for its added attractions, including 11 arts and crafts booths and a half-dozen food vendors.

Now across University Avenue from the American Legion post and east of the new police station—after occupying a parking lot on Allison Avenue east of Spring Street—the Farmers Market “went very well—relatively flawless,” said Gonzales, community development program coordinator.

Near the event’s new 2 p.m. start time (instead of 3 p.m.), Gonzales rolled up his sleeves, “when one of our flower vendors was late, so he parked on the street,” he said, and helped shuttle products to a booth.

Mark Bendixen of Crest—who manages three Farmers Markets in the county with his wife, Suzanne—pitched in as well, manning a booth, for example, when its lone operator took a bathroom break, after helping offload trucks and set up tents.

“It’s always hectic—especially a move on opening day—just trying to squeeze everybody in where they need to go, the timing to get vehicles in,” said the ponytailed, white-bearded Bendixen.

He said he had to make “some adjustments” in the assignment of booth space because of the different layout from the one in place since 1993.

“I try to space them out so we don’t have flowers next to flowers and strawberry [vendors] next to strawberries,” he said.

Shoppers were happy with the easier (and free) parking, in contrast to the previous Village location, where some used parking meters.

Vicky Davis of El Cajon, doing some pre-Mother’s Day shopping with her daughter, said she’d shopped at the Allison Avenue market for 11 years.

“I like the fact that it’s larger and has vendors for food—and also that people are able to sell the products that they make, so you can get a lot of nice gifts here,” Davis said, a bouquet of flowers in hand.

At least one Village merchant—Bill Jaynes of All Things Bright and British—operated a booth in the arts and crafts area along Nebo Drive, the parallel frontage road west of the trolley tracks. 

Some downtown merchants had complained in mid-March when the move was announced—a surprise that blindsided them, they said. They feared a loss of visitors. (One response was to start a First Friday Fun event—where more than 30 Village stores and restaurants stay open longer on the first Friday of the month, closing at 8 p.m. and letting visitors park free after 6 p.m.)

The city said the move was needed “to maximize parking” in advance of construction work related to the Downtown Streetscape Improvement Project.

But a half-dozen vendors surveyed were happy with the foot traffic, which they called greater than earlier weeks. And Gonzales pointed to the market’s higher visibility—near the busy Spring Street and University intersection and under the gaze of trolley riders, with 48 crossings scheduled during the four-hour span of the market.

Besides about 20 traditional booths—selling produce, flowers and other farm products—the market boasted more than 40 vendors overall, Bendixen said.

And Gonzales said 45 additional parking spaces would be available within the next 90 days at the site of the former Allison Avenue post office.

Like a street fair, the Farmers Market also offered entertainment, with at least two two young guitarists—Julian Rey Saenz of College Prep Middle School (strumming an acoustic) and Connor Shasky of Grossmont High School (playing electric).

“I got the permit from City Hall,” Connor said.