Harrisburg resident Ann Knaus stocks up at Veg Out, with owner Melissa Barrick
Ann Knaus gathered up large bags of vegetables, including a heaping passel of carrots for her horse, from Veg Out, a Broad Street Market produce vendor that had set up in the courtyard on Thursday morning.
For years, Knaus has done most of her shopping at the market, and she wasn’t going to let a devastating fire change her routine—and her dedication to the vendors who have been supplying food for her family (and her horse) for so many years.
“My husband and I come here every weekend,” said Knaus, who lives just a block away from the market. “It really is the heartbeat of our community.”
Thursday was the first regular market shopping day since fire ripped through the 150-year-old brick building early Monday morning, a conflagration sparked by a faulty ceiling fan.
Aubrey MacGinnes of Doggie Delights
Over half-a-dozen vendors from the building had set up tents in the courtyard to shield themselves, and their customers, from the mid-July sun and heat. They were doing a brisk business and, to a person, were grateful to the community for their support and help.
“Everybody is coming back, and they’re optimistic and want to be supportive,” said Melissa Barrick, the owner of Veg Out. “We hope it gets better, and they hope it gets better.”
Barrick said that she considered herself more fortunate than some other vendors, who lost expensive equipment or who couldn’t realistically set up a courtyard stand. For instance, several prepared food vendors from the rear of the brick building, the area that suffered the most damage, had ovens and other heavy equipment that isn’t easily replaced.
“That breaks my heart the most,” she said. “They’re all family.”
Next to her, Aubrey MacGinnes was also busy, bagging all-natural, freshly baked pet treats from her Doggie Delights stand. She said that she’s been overwhelmed by the support from the community since the fire struck.
“We’ve been inundated with messages and well wishes and ‘let us know what we can do to help,’” she said. “It’s really reassuring.”
This was actually the second time recently that a tragedy befell this business. MacGinnes’ cousins, who own Doggie Delights, suffered a devastating barn fire in 2021, which destroyed all of their equipment.
“We’re resilient, we’re going to bounce back,” she said. “We’re going to adapt anyway we need to.”
Julia James and Andrea Grove at the future location of Elementary Coffee Co. inside Radish & Rye
Another market vendor, Elementary Coffee Co., has decided to take another route. Starting next Wednesday, they’re taking space across the street, inside Radish & Rye Food Hub.
These two businesses were actually next-door neighbors in the market until Radish & Rye established their own brick-and-mortar shop just across N. 3rd Street in 2021.
Radish & Rye owner Julia James, who lives just a block from the market and watched the building burn on Monday morning, said that she was helping Elementary salvage whatever they could from their market stand when inspiration struck.
“I said to them—I have this crazy idea—what if Elementary just moved into Radish & Rye?” she said.
Elementary owner Andrea Grove loved the idea, since she was uncertain how she would be able to re-deploy her market staff.
“It was the perfect suggestion at the perfect time,” Grove said. “We have this relationship for a long time, so it made perfect sense.”
Back in the market courtyard, several people were raising money for the market and its vendors.
Kait Gibboney is part of an ad hoc community group that quickly came together to form a GoFundMe campaign to assist displaced workers, with a goal of raising $10,000 to equally distribute to people who have lost income.
“We’re in the process of reaching out to people, trying to figure out the situation, what their needs are and trying to get people signed up right now,” she said.
Likewise, the market itself had set up a tent and was accepting donations. Tanis Monroy, the executive director, stood by the tent, in front of the still-open stone building, busily greeting customers in the courtyard.
“The community has really shown up,” he said. “And we’ll have more vendors coming throughout the week.”
By Saturday, he said, he expected the courtyard to be filled, especially with the market’s previously scheduled “Christmas in July” event, which takes place 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. That event, he added, will have added meaning after the fire.
“It will really give everybody hope,” he said.
Lhayana Dallas of Honeybush Raw Smoothie Bar serves customers on Thursday
Lhayana Dallas, owner of Honeybush Raw Smoothie Bar, definitely had hope—and customers. She had moved her smoothie-making operation to the courtyard and, at 11 a.m., already had a line of folks ready to quaff down her refreshing, fruity beverages on the hot day.
Dallas said that she was accustomed to pop-up events, so being portable and flexible was already part of her business plan.
“It’s going pretty well,” she said. “We know that we’ll be out here awhile unless we can raise the funds for a more permanent location. But, for now, we’ll be out here Thursdays through Saturdays.”
Leaving for home with a fresh haul of market goods, Ann Knaus seemed genuinely awed at the show of support for the market, its vendors and its workers on the first market day following the fire.
“To see people out here is just amazing,” she said. “This is who we are. This is Harrisburg.”
Friends of Midtown has put together a spreadsheet with donation and purchase opportunities for the market and its many vendors. Click here to see how to help.
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