Market founders Rhoda and Joe Boyce (Credit: Rhoda's Market Facebook)
Rhoda’s Market will reopen its doors to local bargain-hunters and antique-sleuths on April 11 at the Exhibition Park in Saint John.
Owner Colleen Hatfield says they had to wait until New Brunswick returned to the COVID-19 yellow recovery phase to resume operations. Rhoda’s Market had reopened last October for six weeks before Saint John went into orange phase.
“It takes time to get a hold of all the vendors and do a floor plan, and all that kind of stuff, and just get everybody organized and ready to go again” said Hatfield. “That’s why we waited until now to open and didn’t open the very first week that you could.”
Hatfield said the financial aspect is the biggest challenge because of the expense of managing a large event with extra staff while operating at half of its capacity with less money is coming in.
“Any small business is going through the same thing, we’re just trying to stay open – this is our 46th year in business and we’re hoping we see a 47th, but things are looking up so we’re hopeful,” she said, adding they hope to hold their Christmas event at TD Station after having to cancel last year.
Hatfield says each vendor must have their own COVID plan and are situated six feet apart from one another in the market.
Rhoda’s Market had no problems filling vendor space for its reopening, having booked its first three weeks solid with space only available in its fourth week.
“There’s a lot of people who have been coming to the market every week for years,” said Hatfield. “We have third generation people selling there – their grandfather sold there, then their father and now they’re selling there. For a lot of people this has been their Sunday event for years and years and years.”
Hatfield is looking forward to seeing the regular and new market vendors and attendees this weekend. “Everybody who comes sort of becomes your friends and family so it’s nice to see everybody, and then when you can’t for a while you really start to miss them – I miss the bargains too!”
