There is quite an extravaganza brewing at the grand opening of the state’s largest food hall this weekend and no tickets are required. There will be FREE children’s entertainment starting Saturday, April 24, 2021, at 10 a.m. at the grand opening of Delray Beach Market, just 50 yards south of Atlantic Avenue.
“It’s going to be spectacular,” said Michelle Soudry, spokeswoman for Delray Beach Market. “This facility is 150,000 square feet, which makes it one of America’s largest food halls. It’s a very roomy space. Think of a mall, but with lots of indoor and outdoor space.”
Circus performers, balloon artists and superheroes will roam all four stories, do meet-and-greets and pose for photos with children and adults.
Between visiting the 27 food vendors on April 24, you and your family can enjoy a a marching band, circus performers, stilt walkers, Casa Bella vintage train rides, 60-minute superhero shows, FREE roundtrip shuttles to the beach and more.
Also this Saturday, the Atlantic High School Eagles Marching Band will perform for the first time since the pandemic lockdown. More than 30 talented student musicians will play a 20-minute set, including Under the Sea, This Land, Celebration and Fly Like an Eagle. This well-regarded band has played around the country, including at St. Patrick’s Day parades in New York and Chicago.
Photo: Atlantic High School Eagles Marching Band
A highlight for children this weekend will be a FREE 60-minute superhero show, at 1:30 pm on both Saturday, April 24, and Sunday, April 25. Superheroes will also interact with kids and fans throughout the facility from 11 a.m. through 4 p.m. both days.
Construction began in November 2019, enough time for the builders to add some features due to the pandemic. They expanded outdoor seating to 200 seats, included touchless bathrooms, installed an enhanced air filter AC system and put in plenty of socially-distanced indoor seating.
Builders also added dedicated takeout and curbside pickup spots. Customers will be able to order multiple dishes from a variety of Delray Beach Market vendors and have only one bag and one check, no matter how complex the order.
Delray Beach Market will also inaugurate the guest amenity Freebee, a FREE shuttle, holding five people and operating seven days a week between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. The destinations will be the food hall, plus three stops along A1A. The shuttle is fully electric and carbon negative. The goal is to reduce traffic in downtown Delray (the food hall expects 2,000 visitors a day) and encourage beach-goers to visit the restaurants.
Riders won’t be able to request the shuttle at a particular time, but Freebee will run consistently. You can plan ahead by logging into its app and seeing the estimated wait times.
Also, there are now 220 parking spaces in the four-level enclosed garage.
In terms of liquid refreshment, there is a central bar to build-your-own Bloody Marys along with a rotating menu of seasonal cocktails. Craft beer will also be available.
This weekend there will be a donut- decorating demonstration. In the future, there will be creative food museum exhibits, collaborations with food artists, celebrity culinary demonstrations and family-friendly activities throughout the week.
In addition, there is a “show kitchen” with space for an audience and state-of-the-art audio and visual capabilities. The facility will also rotate artisan chefs to showcase up-and-coming culinary talent.
Overall, the facility is designed to be a gigantic community meeting space, as well as a place to dine out. There is already a backdrop of backdrop of large-format interactive murals and sculptures by world-renowned artists.