Photo: A jewelry vendor at the Fenton Street Market. Credit: J. Deseo/SSP.
Editor’s note: Fenton Village scored a sweet deal in September when the Fenton Street Market opened. Part craft mart, part yard sale, it was popular enough to spawn weekly sales starting spring 2010.
Saturday morning was all about baubles, bicycles and hand-knit scarves at the inaugural Fenton Street Market.
About 40 vendors set up shop in a paved parking lot on Fenton and Silver Spring Avenue. Many sold beaded jewelry, scarves and wool yarn, while others peddled paintings and photographs. A few offered used tchotchkes, Hawaiian shirts and VHS tapes. (It’s what people used to watch before they streamed shows off Hulu.)
Meanwhile, a steady stream of people snaked around vendors’ tables and inspected da goods. Dozens more in their cars circled the block and spilled onto East Silver Spring’s residential streets in search of coveted parking.
The market was the brain child of Hannah McCann, an area resident who wanted to inject a little vitality into a neighborhood of squat buildings and vacant lots. “I feel like there’s a funkier part of Silver Spring that people just aren’t exploring,” McCann wrote on the market’s website.
“I hope the market can become an incubator for small businesses in Silver Spring,” she added. “Let it be a first step for someone to develop a following for their jewelry or their baby toys.”
The Fenton Street Market returns on Oct 3, 2009.
Photos by J. Deseo/SSP.
Originally published Sep 14, 2009.
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Where were the hot mini doughnuts promised by their website? I saw none when I stopped by in the AM, and I can’t imagine the Penguin omitting to mention such a thing.
Wait, donuts were supposed to be there? I didn’t see or smell (much less taste) any such thing at the market that day.
WHAT THE HELL, FENTON STREET MARKET?
Yup. With an exclamation point:
“Our opening markets will feature 60 vendors with an exciting array of fine, unusual, imported, and handmade goods…plus live music and hot mini donuts!”
I really enjoyed the market – a nice complement to the farmers market. I hope the October date includes additional vendors – it could definitely hold more folks.
This was an AWESOME event. A neighbor with a booth selling her Funky knitted jewelry told us at the end of the event that there were serious hopes of making this a weekly market for the spring/summer of next year, how sweet would that be?! Plus we met a couple running a card business who took on all of our upcoming wedding save the dates/invitation business! Loved it!
L.
I’d be interested to know if the vendors thought the market a success. Did they sell as much as they hoped they would? I went to the market and like the concept a lot, but I did not buy anything because there was nothing for sale that my household really needed or wanted.
A got a friend’s birthday present there, and she totally flipped for it. I enjoyed it.
Hi everyone, thanks for coming out to the first Fenton Street Market. Great feedback–thanks. Rest assured, the donut guy will be at the 10/3 market. He pulled out of last Saturday’s event the night before. Local firefighter Mark Pena saved the day by filling the spot (and many empty tummies) with his Kettle Korn. In total, we had 60 vendor spots filled; three exhibitors didn’t show due to unexpected conflicts. Vendors are reporting a positive experience and good sales on an online survey I provided. That’s thanks to all of you who came out to see the market and browse the wares. Please come back on 10/3, when many new vendors will be joining the show!
I really enjoyed the market. Learned about Community Forklift, a Hyattsville home remodeling warehouse and possible source for replacement sinks. Got some childrens’ books as gifts for new parents. The author was selling them. He autographed them which will be fun for the recipients. I also found some bath salts for a friend and a great knitting pattern, complete with in-person teaching about it. It was great. I look forward to the next one.
but will there be any more fenton street markets? I unfortunately missed the last one and, doubly unfortunately, will be out of town for the one on 10/3. Is this going to become a more permanent sort of thing?
Look – you’ve repubbed the post – and now the market is back as well in the spring!
Look, I really really don’t want to be a wet blanket, and I was genuinely interested when I first heard about the market; however reality intrudes. I was one of those people who attended the first Fenton Street Market and I’ve got to admit I was, at best, underwhelmed. In truth, there were a 2, maybe 3 stalls selling some decent artsy-craftsy stuff, but many of the stalls were, and I wish I could put this better, crap. We had encouraged some non- Silver Spring friends to join us that day so I was left embarrassed and apologetic when I saw the offerings. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this wasn’t it.
Now granted, this was just the first outing for this market, but it was still pretty bad. I hope the market improves this Spring, but unless I start hearing some really good things I doubt that I’ll be going back.
Editor’s note: I appreciate your candor, Steve. — JD (Dec 31, 2009)