On Saturday mornings along Clematis St., the sight of white tents lining the walkways in the downtown area indicates the start of a Green Market day in West Palm Beach. Families with coffee cups and dog walkers, stopping for dog treats, all crowd into the market’s main walkway as boats glide past the Intracoastal waterway behind them. The event, which operates weekly, features long-standing sellers and newcomers, each contributing their own product or service.

Vendors arrive hours before 8:30 a.m., when the event opens to the public, to set up tables and organize displays of their products. Many participate from October through May, while others only host a stand for a few weeks at a time. The result is a rotating collection of goods that includes produce, baked foods, art, plants, and wellness products.

“I love the theme that everybody in here is a local business, and they all make their products themselves,” wellness vendor Chrissy Rothwell said. “It’s great to interact with the community, the management team is excellent, and it’s really well run.”

Rothwell’s business, Celestial Waters, produces sea moss-based goods that she labels and packages at a local workspace during the week. She had applied to sell in the market two years prior, but only became eligible when a wellness category was added to the list of approved categories for vendors at the event. She prepares her inventory just before market days to ensure the “freshness” of her products. 

“Our products are perishable, so we don’t ship them, and we love to interact with the community, to help educate them on the benefits of sea moss,” Rothwell said.

A few booths over, 11-year-old José Gazman stands beside rows of succulents planted in small decorative pots. His display includes bowls and patterned ceramics sourced from nearby stores. 

“I make all of these (arrangements) by hand,” Gazman said. “First, I go pot-hunting. That’s what I like to call it. I go to different stores and find the cutest pots, and I plant them and bring them here.” 

He launched his business two weeks before receiving eligibility, which includes applying promptly, to participate in the Green Market. His interest in plants was sparked when he helped water greenery at a boutique where his mother worked. 

“I just asked her if I could water (the plants), and then I fell in love with them,” Gazman said.

Food vendors, including a local bakery, Forn de Esencia, offer goods including handmade pastries. Owner Alexis Jacobo has been managing the business for one year and “wanted to spend time in the (Green) Market.” 

“The (businesses’) name comes from three languages: Spanish, French, and Italian,” Jacobo said. “I love to combine a bunch of cultures and use techniques from all over the world (when baking).”  

Beauty entrepreneur Nina Massanello, founder of The Mani Co., sells her “clean” beauty products, including lip oils and nail polishes, focusing her brand on personal care and “positive” messages. 

Massanello has participated in the Green Market for three consecutive years and has witnessed the event expand as it welcomed 45 new vendors for its 2025-2026 season, bringing the total number of vendors to a record 150 — the most in the market’s history. 

“I was born and raised in West Palm Beach, and I’ve seen this (market) since I was in high school,” Massanello said. “I’ve seen how it’s grown, and it’s incredible.” 

The labels on her items feature phrases connected to affirmations used in therapeutic settings, a choice derived from her own experiences. After her father’s passing, she delved into “meditating, therapy, and positive self-talk,” things she “learned for (herself) and wanted to share for others.”

“It’s really easy to put on lipstick or nail polish, but it’s not really easy to tell yourself, ‘I am beautiful, I am confident, I am healthy,’ or ‘I am loved,’ and that’s just a couple of the affirmations that the beauty products are named after,” Massanello said. 

First-time visitors, such as band senior Daniel Goodwin, walked the Green Market with his mother and stopped at several vendor displays.

“I like the vibe here,” Goodwin said. “They have a great selection. I see a lot of things I can buy.”

While the market does not designate a performance space, music still plays a role. Shoppers can sometimes hear live vocals from singer Pauline Salotti as they make their way through the market. For Salotti, “singing is a pressure release” that offers “an outlet for all the things (she’s) thinking about and feeling.”

“I get to see all the smiling faces, and it’s simple and easy (at the Green Market),” Salotti said.

Her travel setup features her arriving at the event by boat. From New York to the Bahamas, Salotti lives on a sailboat with her cat. The market’s location along the Intracoastal waterway allows her to tie up nearby and walk directly onto the market. 

As the morning unfolded, families, couples, and solo shoppers weaved around the narrow aisles. Some held fresh pastries, others carried succulents, and a few stopped briefly to listen to music as they passed. The morning continued, and the Green Market welcomed new faces to explore what local hands had created.