VIRGINIA BEACH — The Old Beach Farmers Market will look a little different Saturday morning when patrons arrive to do their market shopping.
Instead of closing 19th Street, the market and its vendors will expand south and west into the new ViBe Park at Cypress Avenue and 18th Street. The farmers and vendors who are normally in the Croc’s parking lot will remain there.
“Due to the construction project for the next two years which begins this week, there was not really any viable solution that we could stay in the middle of the road construction,” said Laura Habr, vice president of the Old Beach Farmers Market. “We are very appreciative the ViBe Park was an option and available during Saturday mornings.”
The ViBe Park is located behind Wareing’s Gym on Cypress Avenue.
Habr said she’s not sure how long the arrangement will continue.
“We recognized the positive impact we offered along the 19th Street corridor over the past several years with the interactions of locals, visitors and conventioneers slowing down to stroll through our open-air markets or discovering us on their walk toward the oceanfront or arriving to the convention center,” she said. “We were welcoming ambassadors on Saturday mornings with a positive first impression to those who encountered our friendly farmers and artists visiting our resort city.”
Work on the 19th Street corridor will take about two years and the street will be down to two lanes.
Those attending the market can park at the Virginia Beach Convention Center or at the Runnymede Corporation lots along Cypress Avenue at 20th and 21st streets. However, they should not park in front of businesses, in business lots, or in lots that belong to nearby condos or apartments.
The Old Beach Farmers Market began in 2008 and features nearly 100 farmers, vendors, and artists. It runs 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Saturday.
