Park Tavern's last dinner service is expected on Sunday, October 18. That date was posted by an administrator of the Delray Beach Community Forum Facebook group, according to Boca Raton Magazine. The restaurant has not given one. Six days later, on Saturday, October 24, the Delray Beach GreenMarket opens its 31st winter season at Old School Square.
Those two dates sum up the year downtown. Three Atlantic Avenue restaurants have closed in 2026, and Park Tavern will make four. Meanwhile the Saturday market, the Old School Square events, the tennis center and the city golf course are either staying put or coming back. This fall, the public places and civic events are what hold the calendar together.
Four Closings on One Stretch of the Avenue
Park Tavern announced the closing on Facebook and Instagram after 15 years on Atlantic Avenue:
"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."
The restaurant gave no reason. Comments on its post mentioned the happy hour, Sunday brunch and espresso martinis. Some commenters also blamed rising downtown rents, though that is their view and not a reason the restaurant gave.
Boca Raton Magazine counts Park Tavern as the fourth Atlantic Avenue restaurant closing this year. The other three:
- True Vegan closed its Delray location and planned to move to 815 Belvedere Road in West Palm Beach. Its May 2026 announcement said the new spot would open "this summer."
- Lefkes Estiatorio closed at Delray Beach Market in late May. The Palm Beach Post reported it had been open less than two years.
- Cut 432 closed at the end of April.
Park Tavern and Cut 432 were both owned by Modern Restaurant Group. That group's only remaining dining concept is El Camino, which has four locations, including one in Delray Beach. No new tenants have been announced for any of the four spaces, so their futures are still open.
The Saturday Market Is Still There
The GreenMarket has run 30 winter seasons at Old School Square, and the 31st follows the same pattern. It runs Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., from October 24, 2026, through May 22, 2027, with more than 70 growers, makers and food vendors, according to the Delray Beach CRA. That is about seven months of fixed Saturdays.
Opening day falls on the same Saturday as downtown Halloween, so the first market morning will be crowded. The Boca Raton Tribune lists the October 24 schedule this way:
- Trick-or-treating on Atlantic Avenue from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with the avenue closed to traffic
- Kidsfest at Old School Square from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- A parade at 1 p.m.
- The Witches of Delray ride
The market opens at 9 a.m., two hours before trick-or-treating closes Atlantic Avenue to traffic.
The Fall Calendar, in Order
After opening weekend, the schedule spreads out across late fall. Every event is dated and every venue is public.
- October 24. The GreenMarket opens and downtown Halloween takes place, both centered on Old School Square.
- Through October 31. Restaurant Month deals continue at the downtown restaurants that extended them. More on those below.
- November 7 and 8. Art on the Square brings about 100 juried artists to the Old School Square Amphitheatre and along Swinton Avenue for a two-day outdoor show.
- November 21 and 22. The United States plays Hungary in a Billie Jean King Cup playoff at the Delray Beach Tennis Center, 201 W. Atlantic Ave. USTA says matches start at 1:30 p.m. ET both days.
- Late November, estimated. The Delray Beach Golf Club is expected to reopen after its renovation.
Most of these events happen on public ground. Old School Square, the Swinton Avenue frontage, the city tennis center on West Atlantic and the municipal golf course are all places residents own in common.
A Golf Course Rebuilt on User Fees
The golf club is the clearest example of a public place that residents fought to keep. The city closed the course on November 3, 2025. Its renovation notice said the course, clubhouse and practice facilities were expected to reopen in November 2026. A September update from Boca Raton Magazine still puts the reopening at late November 2026.
How it got paid for matters as much as the date. An earlier plan was a public-private partnership: a developer would rebuild the course in exchange for part of the land. Six developers submitted proposals. The City Commission at the time rejected them after backlash from residents and golfers. A city consultant then proposed a revenue bond repaid by course user fees, so taxpayers would not cover the cost. The commission approved that approach in October 2025.
The renovation costs $33 million and covers the whole property. That includes 18 restored holes, new greens, irrigation and drainage, practice areas, cart paths and an updated clubhouse. The 2026–27 greens fees were not published in the sources we reviewed. The consultant's figures were proposals, and the clubhouse should have the final rates once the course opens.
Other Public Places Already Reopened
The golf course is the last of several public reopenings this year:
- Arts Warehouse at 313 NE 3rd St. reopened June 5 after building work, with a new exhibition.
- Carver Square Park reopened after a full renovation. It now has new playground equipment and swings, artificial turf, landscaping, benches and fencing.
West Atlantic Avenue is also starting a longer process. On October 7, the CRA issued a request for proposals for its 7.54 vacant acres across the SW 600, 700 and 800 blocks of West Atlantic Avenue. It is asking for mixed-use housing and commercial projects, with ground-floor frontage reserved for active retail or services. Proposals are due December 2 at 4 p.m. This is only a call for proposals. No developer has been chosen and no construction is scheduled. The requirement for street-level shops and services shows the kind of frontage the CRA wants on that part of the avenue.
Small businesses keep opening west of Swinton too. Allure Beauty, a salon and boutique at 98 NW 5th Ave. in the Edmonds Baine Building, held its grand opening on August 12. It is open weekdays and takes evening and weekend appointments by request.
Where to Eat Before the Deals Expire
The four closings are not the whole downtown dining story. Several restaurants extended their Restaurant Month deals through October 31, Boca Raton Magazine reports. The list includes Amar Mediterranean Kitchen & Bar, Double Knot, Dada, Campi Italian, Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse and ten others. That leaves about three weeks to try a prix fixe menu before the season gets busy.
The avenue also gained restaurants this year. A May 2026 Boca Raton Tribune roundup named these recent openings:
- Barcelona Wine Bar, 22 W. Atlantic Ave., Suite 140
- Geronimo Tequila Bar & Southwest Grill, 105 E. Atlantic Ave.
- Selini, 502 E. Atlantic Ave.
- Dip n Crepe, 301 W. Atlantic Ave.
- Coffee Beans and Greens, 400 W. Atlantic Ave.
The roundup did not give opening dates for each one. Still, these five spots, from 22 W. to 502 E. Atlantic, show that new restaurants are arriving even as longtime ones close. If you want a last visit to Park Tavern, go before the 18th. The GreenMarket's first Saturday is the 24th, and Atlantic Avenue stays open to traffic until 11 a.m. that day.
The fall calendar also tells you something about what makes a place last. At JOFRE GROUP REAL ESTATE LLC, we keep track of how downtown Delray is changing, from the West Atlantic proposals to the reopened golf club. If you'd like to talk through what these changes mean for a home you own here, or one you're thinking about, please contact us. We're always glad to have that conversation.
