This weekend is a big one for Washington. Amidst a variety of events and festivities, one sticks out as making Saturday a red-letter day. Starting at 9 a.m., the city’s new Harbor District Market will open up its doors.

Just a few doors down from the Turnage Theatre, surrounded by both new and well-established businesses, the market will undoubtedly become an anchor of downtown Washington. It will be a place you can visit your neighbor, maybe sit down for a meal and see the best of what Beaufort County has to offer.

From produce pulled from Beaufort County soil to homemade goods and foods made by neighbors, it doesn’t get any more local than the offerings that will be at the market.

For downtown businesses, the market’s presence will help drive foot traffic, giving people one more reason to visit the Harbor District. Those people in turn will undoubtedly visit other stores, restaurants and businesses in the area. As the old saying goes, “A rising tide lifts all boats.”

For the people who live downtown, or in the nearby Historic District, the market offers a new alternative as a place to purchase food. For day-trippers and live-aboard boaters alike, some of whom don’t have cars, it offers the convenience of a grocery store a block from the docks.

The appeal is there for young and old alike. While kids can learn where there food comes from, adults can learn new ways to prepare that food, and both can learn about local history from the Washington Underground Railroad Museum and the Historic Port of Washington. Those who have been around a while might even trade memories of the old McLellan’s Five and Dime store that once occupied the building.

If you miss out on Saturday, the market will be open again next Wednesday, continuing through Saturday, four days a week. There is no doubt that the market will enhance our community. It’s a chance to celebrate Beaufort County, its traditions and its people. Make time for a visit — in addition to some fresh produce, you might just walk away with a better understanding of what makes Beaufort County so special.