Channel Islands Harbor residents and visitors who frequent the Sunday Farmers Market as an alternative to grocery store produce are in luck. The Ventura County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an additional Farmers Market day at its September 15 meeting. As of this writing, there has been no specific date given, but initial reports say the Farmers Market Wednesday edition will come sometime in late October or early November. This additional day is in response to locals who asked for it as an alternative to closed air supermarkets during COVID.
Open from 10:00 to 2:00 on Sundays; the Wednesday edition will run from 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM. However, if you haven’t visited the market recently, you will notice some changes.
As with so many other things around the COVID-19 pandemic, a little more patience may be required when visiting. Historically, the Channel Islands Farmers Market has been an alternative to shopping local supermarkets for fresh produce and a great way to spend an afternoon in our magnificent coastal setting. So yes, safety measures have been incorporated into the overall experience.

Following recommendations from the California Department of Public Health, the market has implemented changes in the basic layout to provide better directional flow. To provide additional safety, they have added handwashing areas, limited entry-exit locations, and the number of customers allowed in at a time. Of course, masks are mandatory while inside the market.
Having just been there this past weekend, we can personally report only minor inconveniences that we welcomed in exchange for the safety measures. While we did feel a little “stacked up” waiting in line for entry, we were impressed with the other patrons’ cooperation in keeping their distance. Even at the height of the day, the system to manage entry seemed efficient. We only waited about 5 minutes, and once inside, social distancing was relatively easy.
We are looking forward to the addition of the Wednesday Farmers Market. It’s always good to see additional energy around the neighborhood, and even though this is ultimately