"Cheers to an amazing 15 years! As we prepare to close our doors, we're raising a glass to the guests, team members and community who made Park Tavern what it is. Join us for one last bite." Park Tavern posted that message on October 7. According to the Palm Beach Post, the restaurant at 32 SE Second Ave. serves its last meals on Sunday, October 18.
Six days after that, the season starts again a few blocks west. Delray's downtown season used to feel centered on the east end of Atlantic. In fall 2026 it is centered at Atlantic and Swinton. Old School Square sits on the north side of that corner and Sundy Village on the south. The two sides are at different stages. Old School Square has events booked almost every week from now through Christmas Eve. Sundy Village still has several restaurant spaces marked "coming soon."
Saturday, October 24 is the real opening day
Most years the GreenMarket's return is the signal that season is back. This year it lands on the same morning as four other events, all within walking distance of Swinton Avenue.
The Delray Community Redevelopment Agency lists the 31st Winter GreenMarket for every Saturday from October 24, 2026 through May 22, 2027, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Old School Square campus. The CRA started the market in 1996. It now has more than 60 food vendors selling produce, citrus, eggs, cheese, baked goods, flowers and plants, with live music every week.
Here is what else is scheduled that day:
- 8 to 11 a.m.: The 15th Annual Witches of Delray Ride. Proceeds benefit local children and families through ACCF, per the Old School Square events calendar.
- 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.: The first Winter GreenMarket of the season.
- 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: The Delray Beach Orchid Society's 36th annual Orchids On The Square opens in the Vintage Gym. It runs Saturday and Sunday, closes at 4 p.m. on Sunday, and admission is $5. The Downtown Delray listing describes orchid and supply vendors plus raffles.
- 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Halloween Kidsfest, run by the City Parks and Recreation Department, with food, vendors, arts and crafts and entertainment.
- Same day: Halloween in Downtown Delray, which is also on the Downtown Development Authority's calendar.
That is a lot for one Saturday morning. If the orchid show is your main reason to go, you can skip the crowds by going on Sunday, October 25, instead.
Why the north side of the corner is so fully booked
Old School Square's packed calendar has a simple explanation in who runs it. The Downtown Delray Beach DDA says it has operated, maintained and programmed the Cornell Art Museum, the amphitheatre and the Vintage Gym since signing an interlocal agreement with the City in December 2022. The DDA also books private events there. The City runs the Crest Theatre separately and restarted programming there in November 2024, The Coastal Star reported.
The Crest is still the unfinished piece. In February 2026, the City Commission told staff and architects to go ahead with a staged renovation design. Concept estimates ranged from about $3 million to $7.9 million. That decision covers design only. No construction schedule has been announced yet.
The Cornell, meanwhile, has three exhibitions open and a fourth on the way:
- "River of Grass": an immersive fiber-art show by 12 artists, open since October 1.
- Marleen De Waele–De Bock's "Blooming in Color!": also opened October 1 and runs through January 24, 2027.
- Ron Garrett's "Impressions & Expressions": more than 100 works covering four decades. It opens tomorrow, October 11, and runs October 12 through February 28, 2027, according to the museum.
- Helmut Koller's "KOLLERISM: Vivid & Wild": ten large-scale animal portraits. It opens Thursday, December 3, from 6 to 8 p.m. and stays up through March 21, 2027.
All four shows overlap from early December into late January. That makes the holidays the best stretch for one long visit to the Cornell, especially with out-of-town guests.
November and December, week by week
The table below lists the dated events on the Old School Square, DDA and City calendars from November through Christmas Eve. Read top to bottom, it shows only a handful of weeks with nothing scheduled on or around the campus.
| Date | Event | Where and when |
|---|---|---|
| Sun, Nov 1 | Coco Market Wellness Festival | Amphitheatre, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., free yoga, meditation and sound bath |
| Sat–Sun, Nov 7–8 | Art on the Square Fine Art Show | Outdoor juried show, about 100 artists, opens Saturday at 10 a.m. and wraps Sunday at 4 p.m. |
| Wed, Nov 11 | Veterans Day Ceremony | Vintage Gym, 9 to 11 a.m. |
| Fri–Sat, Nov 13–14 | 6 x 6 Art Extravaganza | Downtown Delray |
| Sun, Nov 15 | Pooches & Presents in the Park | Noon to 4 p.m., adoptable dogs, holiday shopping, Santa photos |
| Sat, Nov 21 | 40th Annual Delray Beach Turkey Trot | Anchor Park |
| Tue, Dec 1 | 100-ft Christmas Tree Lighting & Yuletide Street Fair | Old School Square, 6 to 9 p.m., lighting at 7 p.m. |
| Wed, Dec 2 | Delray In White Holiday Dinner & Charity Toy Drive | Old School Square |
| Sun, Dec 6 | Coco Market, then the Chanukah Festival and Menorah Lighting | Amphitheatre 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; festival 6 to 9 p.m. |
| Thu, Dec 10 | Cocoa, Cookies & Crafts | Old School Square, 6 to 8 p.m. |
| Thu, Dec 24 | Outdoor Christmas Eve service with the Avenue Church and the City | Amphitheatre, 6 to 8 p.m. |
The City of Delray Beach lists the tree lighting for a Tuesday this year, December 1, with food, vendors and entertainment at the street fair. The next night brings Delray In White to the same lawn, so the first two days of December are back-to-back events at Old School Square.
Across Atlantic, Sundy Village is half open
Directly across the corner, Sundy Village is the newest part of downtown, and it is still filling in. The project covers seven acres at the Atlantic and Swinton gateway. The Downtown Delray directory describes it as a mixed-use campus with retail, restaurants, boutique offices, historic cottages, outdoor dining, a paseo and underground parking. Developer Pebb Capital's Phase I includes 30,000 square feet of shops and restaurants and 268 parking spaces. A planned Phase II would add a 165-space garage and 3,400 square feet of ground-floor retail, according to a September 10, 2026 report on the project's refinancing.
Restaurant openings have been slower than the announcements suggested. Here is where each announced food and drink tenant stood as of October 10:
| Tenant | Address | Status as of Oct 10, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Barcelona Wine Bar | 22 W. Atlantic Ave. | Open; reported as Sundy Village's first full-service restaurant |
| Double Knot | 22 W. Atlantic Ave. | Open; running Restaurant Month deals through Oct 31 |
| Van Leeuwen Ice Cream | 22 W. Atlantic Ave. | Listed in the Downtown Delray directory; opening not independently confirmed |
| Drinking Pig BBQ | 22 W. Atlantic Ave. | Directory says "Coming Soon"; had targeted September |
| Maman | 40 S. Swinton Ave. | Announced for a converted cottage; opening not confirmed |
| Delray Beach Craft Brewing | Restored Cathcart House, Swinton Ave. | Announced; opening not confirmed |
Drinking Pig is the one most people are waiting for. The Palm Beach Post reported in June that the Miami barbecue spot planned to open in September. Its menu combines slow-smoked brisket, ribs and pork belly with Caribbean dishes like jerk chicken patties and coco bread. The Downtown Delray directory still lists it as "Coming Soon." Maman, the French-inspired all-day café from New York, will be in a small house on Swinton with a large outdoor seating area. In February, the café was expected to open in late summer. No source we found confirms it has opened yet.
If you're spending a Saturday at the GreenMarket, Barcelona and Double Knot are the places across Atlantic you can count on being open today. Through October 31, Double Knot is one of the restaurants extending its September Restaurant Month deals, along with Amar Mediterranean Kitchen & Bar, Avalon Beach House, Big Al's Steaks, Campi Italian, Carmela Coffee, Dada, Gelato&Co. and Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse, per Boca Raton Magazine.
The last week before the season starts
The next two weeks run in a clear order. Park Tavern serves its last meals on October 18, after 15 years known for its happy hour and its scratch-kitchen PT cheesesteak. The next Saturday, the GreenMarket's first vendors set up at Old School Square at 9 a.m. With Restaurant Month deals running through Halloween, the days leading up to October 18 are your last chance at the Park Tavern happy hour and a good time to try a Double Knot deal before the Saturday crowds come back.
When a block this busy gets new neighbors, nearby homeowners start wondering what their own address is worth. If you live near Swinton Avenue and that question has crossed your mind this fall, AJ Bergman can give you a free home valuation based on recent downtown Delray sales.
