By Sabrina Berndt

WASHINGTON DAILY NEWS

Sunny skies, white tents and fresh produce all come to mind when thinking about the typical outdoor farmers market, but a recent decision to move the Washington Harbor District Farmers & Artisans Market indoors will give it a new look.

The Farmers & Artisans Market will be permanently closing its outdoor market at Water and Bonner streets after vendor feedback. Due to the recent opening of the indoor market and extreme weather, the outdoor vendors decided to make the switch.

“All of the vendors that were in our outdoor space wanted to be in our indoor space,” Washington Harbor District Alliance Director Meg Howdy said. “It allows for more traffic flow, because we have a large amount of vendors that are here, some full-time. We don’t have to worry about the really hot days in the middle of summer and this past Saturday, we didn’t have it outdoors because of the rain.”

According to Howdy, WHDA asked the remaining vendors for feedback after some expressed interest in moving to the Harbor District Market at 140 W. Main St.

“We reached out to everyone, and they gave their feedback,” Howdy said. “We only had between seven and nine vendors that were left coming to that market.”

Compared to the dwindling numbers at the outdoor market, the Harbor District Market had at least 600 visitors on its opening day. According to Howdy, many vendors made more than $1,000, making it a great opportunity for small businesses looking to expand their audience.

With nine permanent spaces, 17 vendor spaces are available for rent on a daily basis. The market is regularly adding new vendors of products that range from baked goods and produce to soap and clothing.

“We see these individual owners as small business owners,” Howdy said. “They have autonomy of their spaces. It’s a great opportunity for the people to build their business.”

The market’s grand opening will be in the fall. Due to customer feedback, the Harbor District Market will be changing its Saturday hours to 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.