Loxahatchee Groves Turns 20 on the Corridor Its Residents Are Still Debating

"Love It and Leave It Alone." Mayor Lisa El-Ramey told the Town-Crier that this old community motto "still captures much of what residents value about Loxahatchee Groves." She said it in the paper's preview of the town's 20th anniversary celebration, which takes place Sunday, Nov. 8.

The party will be at Loxahatchee Groves Park, 13901 Southern Blvd. That stretch is the subject of a corridor study, and in public input gathered for it this year, residents told regional planners that development has "diluted the town with generic architecture and landscaping." Meanwhile, the fall Saturdays that still fit the motto are happening a few minutes away, on North Road and Okeechobee Boulevard. This fall, you can see both sides of the town's 20-year question in a single weekend: the country Saturdays that still feel unchanged, and the boulevard where the next 20 years will be decided.

What the 2006 vote was meant to hold

The Town-Crier's anniversary story goes back further than most residents' memories. Southern States Land and Timber Company bought the land in 1902. Pioneers and farmers started settling it after the West Palm Beach Canal was finished in 1917. As the rest of the county grew around it, residents went through a multi-year process and voted in 2006 to incorporate. The goal was to keep urbanization from closing in.

Today the town covers about 8,000 acres and has more than 3,000 residents. It goes by the nickname "Florida's Last Frontier." Councilwoman Anita Kane described the anniversary as marking "a hard-fought battle to preserve our rural lifestyle," and added, "We're still holding the line."

That line has a real location on the map. Not every address marketed as "Loxahatchee" is inside the incorporated town. We explained how that boundary shows up on tax bills and road maintenance in The Line on the Map That's Splitting Loxahatchee's Tax Bill in Two. The fall calendar below includes places on both sides of that line.

The fall calendar, in one place

If you've been to Swank before, check the start time this year. The farm's official page lists a 9 a.m. opening for the 2026 season. Last year's notice gave 10 a.m., so an hour comes off the front of the morning.

North Road is where the motto still holds

Swank Farmers Market runs in an open-air, 8,500-square-foot barn on the farm in Loxahatchee Groves. The farm's own pitch is to "avoid the urban crowds and parking hassles and take a trip to the countryside." It reads like the 2006 incorporation argument in a sentence.

More than 25 vendors join Swank's own produce. The current list includes:

• Old Okeechobee Coffee Company
• Sutton Milk
• Alonso Apiaries
• Anna Bakes and Rebecca's Pastry
• Paulie's Pasta and Italian Forks
• King of Hummus and Blue Ribbon Gumbo
• Red Beard Ranch and Gratitude Garden Farms
• Swank Salad Bar

The vendor rules are part of what keeps it a farm market. Swank's page says it doesn't take art, jewelry or craft vendors. Parking is free. Only service dogs are allowed, so leave the family dog at home. The farm also asks visitors to say hi to its pigs, sheep and farm cats on the way in or out. The page also links to a Martha Stewart blog post from her visit.

A Saturday that stays on the farm roads

The Community of Hope Pumpkin Patch is the second stop, out on Okeechobee Boulevard. It's free to visit. Pumpkins, gourds, fresh-baked treats and other items are for sale, and the proceeds support the church's youth program. Each Saturday this month, the patch adds a free pop-up that's open to the public. Pups in the Patch already happened on Oct. 3, but three are still ahead.

The market closes at 1 p.m. and the pop-ups start at 4 p.m., so one Saturday can hold both:

1. 9 a.m. Get to Swank at 14311 North Road for coffee and a breakfast sandwich. The farm's page lists both. Bring your biggest shopping bags, as the page suggests.
2. Before 1 p.m. Finish the week's shopping before the market closes.
3. Afternoon. Head home, put away the produce and the Sutton Milk, and let the heat break.
4. 4 to 7 p.m. Drive to 14055 Okeechobee Blvd. for the pop-up of the week. That's Moos & Boots on Oct. 10, Makers Market on Oct. 17, or Heroes in the Patch on Oct. 24.
5. By 8:30 p.m. Pick your pumpkins before the patch closes for the night.

The schedule gets crowded on Oct. 17. The Makers Market pop-up runs 4 to 7 p.m., and the Wellington Fall Festival runs 3 to 10 p.m. at Village Park. The festival is free to enter, though some activities require a wristband. If you want both, the festival's late close makes it possible.

The patch's last day is Oct. 31. After that, Swank is the town's every-Saturday constant through May. Our Loxahatchee summer playbook covers the months when it's closed.

Then the party moves to Southern Boulevard

The anniversary celebration runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Loxahatchee Groves Park. It will have family-style games and activities, plus free food. Organizers plan to honor veterans as part of the day, since Veterans Day follows a few days later. Residents are invited to bring small mementos for a time capsule to be opened in the future. The town will provide paper for anyone who wants to write a message for it.

The park's location matters. In June, the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council presented the Town Council with a draft Southern Blvd. Corridor Study. It was paid for with a $75,000 Community Planning Technical Assistance Grant from FloridaCommerce. Its findings came from two public workshops in March and an online survey.

"What we heard from the community was that the reason why we were here is that development has diluted the town with generic architecture and landscaping, that the infrastructure is aging and facing new challenges, and there's a general concern about the quality of life in Loxahatchee Groves."

Jessica Seymour, principal program coordinator, TCRPC

The study reported strong support for limiting commercial development. Its recommendations include:

• Landscaping standards that favor plants providing natural habitat and better water quality
• Gateway improvements on certain roads and trails, plus signage, to mark the town's identity
• Grant-funded investment in Collecting Canal and the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District
• Possibly creating a business or neighborhood improvement district

None of it is binding. Seymour said the study doesn't change anyone's zoning or land use. "Each piece of this is something that can be acted upon either slowly or not at all," she told the council. The council voted 4–1 to receive and file the study, with Vice Mayor Manish Sood voting no. The Town-Crier reported that the study would next be submitted to the state to meet the grant's requirements.

So the anniversary is a celebration on the corridor that 2026's planning work is focused on. The mayor framed the day around what happens next. "The best way to honor that effort is to make sure that residents continue to have a meaningful role in determining what Loxahatchee Groves will be in another 20 years," El-Ramey said. She invited both longtime residents and "newer arrivals" to serve on committees and attend meetings.

On Nov. 8, the messages you write for the time capsule at 13901 Southern Blvd. will be read by whoever opens it, about a town whose boulevard is still being decided. Event details are on the Town of Loxahatchee Groves website.

I've worked in western Palm Beach County since the mid-2000s, about as long as Loxahatchee Groves has been a town. Questions come up all the time about where the town limits fall, or what the corridor study could mean for a property near Southern Boulevard. If you'd like to talk through either one with someone who answers his phone, On Call Realty is around the corner. Schedule a free consultation, or start on our Loxahatchee neighborhood page.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.