PALM SPRINGS, Fla. — The Lake Worth Drive-In and Swap Shop will close Oct. 3 after the village of Palm Springs determined flea markets and outdoor theaters are not permitted under its zoning rules. Now, vendors have until Sept. 30 to cease their operations.
Vendors say they were blindsided by the announcement. Many depend on the market to make a living and are now scrambling for options.
WATCH BELOW: Vendors scramble as Swap Shop faces closure
"They put us in a really bad spot. We’re gonna be out of work. This is all we have right now," one worker told WPTV on Sunday.
Alexa Castro, a longtime vendor, said her mother pays $1,300 a month to operate a food truck on the property. She said they received their closure notice the same day they paid September rent.
"If they knew they were closing down, they should have told us," Castro said. "They're just telling us to go to Fort Lauderdale, but that's too far. Besides that, it's going dead as well. So it's really hard to adapt to a new place and gain customers again."
In a notice distributed last week, Swap Shop management told vendors they had until Sept. 30 to vacate. Management said they had tried to work with the village to keep the flea market open, but were not successful.
The notice to vendors said the following:
“We regret to inform you that the Lake Worth Drive-In Theatre and Swap Shop will be closing its doors on Oct. 3, 2025. Due to restrictions by the Village of Palm Springs, which does not permit Flea Markets or Outdoor Theaters within its city limits, we are unable to continue operating at this location."
Attorneys representing Palm Springs later sent a letter to operators explaining that a 2004 annexation agreement, which allowed the property to run as a flea market and drive-in theater, had expired. Without that agreement, city zoning rules do not allow those businesses to continue.
The letter to operators said the following:
"With the expiration of the Annexation Agreement, the approval of the drive-in theater and swap shop uses have expired. The current land use designation and zoning for the Property do not allow for such uses. Accordingly, the Village has advised your client that those uses must cease and provided a compliance date of October 4, 2025."
For vendors like Leo Moreno, who operated his business at the Swap Shop for nine years, the closure brings an uncertain future.
"I don't know what I'll do. I have to wait, and right now the economy is not rising," Moreno said.
"Everybody who works here is dependent on this work," another vendor added.
Some say they are searching for new locations, while others fear they may have to close their businesses for good.
The Lake Worth Drive-in and Swap Shop is owned by Swap Shop, which operates another location in Fort Lauderdale. Vendors were given the option to relocate to the Fort Lauderdale location, but many say that is unrealistic for them.
