Redlands moves its Saturday market to 7 a.m. and looks for the exit

Redlands Community News: The Redlands City Council voted May 19 to move the Downtown Morning Market from its 9 a.m.–1 p.m. slot to 7–11 a.m., and to limit parking-lot closures to an hour before and after. The change, requested by Mayor Pro Tem Marc Shaw, aims to ease weekend parking pressure near Ed Hales Park. The council also directed staff to scout downtown-adjacent sites and solicit proposals for a third-party operator.

The financial subtext matters. City Manager Charles Duggan said the market currently runs a negative net, and that the city's goal is to hand the property to an outside operator who runs the event and pays to use the lot — no city staff time during the market itself. Mayor Mario Saucedo warned against moving it too far, citing the drop in downtown foot traffic when the market previously shifted to The Grove School in winter.