Topanga Farmers Market is thriving again, after the Palisades fire closed it down

When the Palisades fire struck in January, it forced Topanga Farmers Market to close down for three weeks during the evacuation of Topanga Canyon due to the wildfire that destroyed homes and businesses in Palisades, Malibu and the canyon. While most of the canyon was spared, many of the market’s vendors and customers lost their homes.

Topanga Canyon Boulevard was closed to traffic from Pacific Coast Highway to Grand View Drive for four months, and the popular outdoor market with its rural feel and charm lost customers from Malibu, the Palisades and other communities on the Westside.

But things are changing as Topanga Farmers Market founders Kate Kimmel and Freddi Swanson look forward. The canyon reopened to traffic in late May, and the market is again held every Friday from 9am to 1pm.

Kimmel said the fire brought people together in positive ways. “We partnered with World Central Kitchen to provide free produce to those affected, hosted recovery agencies like the Red Cross and Topanga REACH, and created space for healing by bringing in massage therapists and cranial sacral practitioners to offer free services,” Kimmel said. “The market became more than just a place to shop—it became a space for our community to regroup, reconnect, and heal.”

“Despite the challenges, as we enter our second year, the Topanga Farmers Market is thriving,” Swanson said. “We’ve expanded beyond the canyon, drawing customers from the (San Fernando) Valley and the Westside who are seeking something more meaningful than a typical shopping trip. We now host over 12 agricultural vendors, more than 28 specialty food vendors, and have welcomed over 100 artisans offering vintage goods and handmade wares.”

Swanson notes that, “We believe community is everything. There are so few places left where everyone knows your name, where you can buy nutrient-dense, nourishing food directly from the person who grew or made it, and get a week’s worth of hugs and smiles at the same time.”