After nearly 40 years of deals, memories, and community, Pompano Beach’s Festival Marketplace — once known as the Festival Flea Market — will officially close its doors on May 31. A local staple tucked off the Turnpike and Sample Road, the massive indoor market was recently sold to an Orlando-based developer with plans to transform the site into warehouses.

At its peak, the Festival buzzed with over 250 vendors offering everything from jewelry to empanadas. Now, many of those booths sit empty, as longtime vendors brace for a tough goodbye.

“This place became one big family,” said Arlene Tanner of Vivian’s Place, who’s been there 11 years. “Everybody is very sad.”

For vendors like Nina Ramalao, who’s served loyal customers at Nina’s Place for 26 years, the uncertainty is real. “I’m looking for a new place, but I will open somewhere,” she promised.

While the city reviews redevelopment plans, locals are left mourning more than just a marketplace — they’re losing a piece of South Florida culture. As Tanner put it, “Unemployment is going to be flooded next week. It’s going to be hard for a lot of people.”