Lynnwood on track for farmers market by spring, pending Sound Transit approval
Published 1:30 am Monday, October 26, 2026
EVERETT — The city of Lynnwood is aiming to open a farmers market at the transit center by June 2027, according to a City Council presentation on Wednesday.
While the city was originally aiming for a spring 2026 opening ahead of the FIFA World Cup, the project briefly stalled after the city had trouble finding a market manager.
In March, the city hired Sarah Frost with Making Local, a local market consulting company. Frost’s services will be paid for through the revenue generated from the market.
Now, Sound Transit is reviewing the permit application and site plan, and Frost is planning for a June 6 kickoff.
If approved, the market would be open on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for 13 weeks, or until Aug. 29. Frost said that in the first year, she anticipates about 30 vendors any given week, with 50% being food growers and producers.
The market would take place at the northeastern area of the station property, directly connecting it to the Interurban Trail along with the light rail and bus routes.
On Wednesday, Frost asked the council for $1,500 in seed funding. Although the city is currently navigating a significant budget deficit, some council members volunteered to give up their travel budget to pay for the startup cots.
“I think it’s safe to say we’ll figure it out,” council member Isabel Mata said. “We’ll find the money. … This is way, way worth it.”
Frost also asked the city to provide some services in lieu of payment, including traffic control and trash collection. Cost estimates for those services won’t be finalized until Sound Transit approves the permit application.
Council member Robert Leutwyler said he wanted to wait to see how much those services would cost before providing the seed funding.
“We have a little bit of responsibility here to be mindful,” he said. “We’ve made all these cuts this year. This was a new program we created at the same time. I’m not arguing against it, I’m just acknowledging that’s just the situation we’re in.”
In November 2025, the City Council approved a $5,000 refundable security deposit paid to Sound Transit.
If approved, the market would become the third regular farmers market in the state directly next to a light rail station. Current markets are located at the Capitol Hill and Angle Lake stations.
“A successful market looks like happy vendors and happy people,” Frost said. “… Happy in terms of vendors are meeting their goals, food isn’t going to waste. The community is being served.”
Jenna Peterson: 425-339-3486; jenna.peterson@heraldnet.com; X: @jennarpetersonn.