Market rundown
Check out local outdoor shopping venues this weekend
Posted on: April 13, 2022; Updated on: April 13, 2022
By Kelley Barrett, Elinore Armstrong and Sophie Karapatakis, stucomm@mailbox.sc.edu
Looking for your next weekend adventure? Support the Columbia and Midlands community and shop locally at one of the outdoor markets the area has to offer.
NoMa Flea Market
Friday 6 p.m – 9 p.m | 2222 Sumter St., Columbia
For fans of the eclectic and funky, NoMa Flea is the ideal market. NoMa is an abbreviation for the market’s location on North Main Street.
The market hosts a collection of vendors offering a variety of creations from handmade stained-glass sun-catchers to vintage clothing. The market also has food vendors and live musical act each week.
Keeping the flea fresh is a priority, so the variation in shops, food and entertainment is intentional. Most vendors are Columbia locals, but the NoMa Flea occasionally hosts merchants from Charleston, Greenville or Charlotte.
Eight vendors have a permanent residence at the NoMa Warehouse for their stores, including Steel Garden, a plant and vintage shop originally hosted out of a trailer. Owner Denise Shealy was a part of the first NoMa Flea before the warehouse began hosting permanent shops.
“It’s awesome because now that we have the rotating vendors with the flea and stuff, it’s always different exposure,” Shealy says. “We get such a great crowd through here, all different types of people, so, it’s definitely been really good to have the space here.”
Shealy continues to host Steel Garden pop-ups out of a mini-truck, but her store’s plants call the NoMa Warehouse space home.
West Columbia Artisan Market
Saturday 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. | 425 Meeting St., West Columbia
If you’re looking for a quaint, off-the-beaten-path market, the West Columbia Artisan Market is for you.
Head west and discover fresh produce from local farmers, tasty baked goods and so much more.
Located just across the bridge from Columbia, this market features vendors showcasing their handmade goods, including jewelry, candles, soaps and artwork, that appeals to many different tastes.
Check out BrickHouse Gourmet Coffee & Tea Co. for fresh roasted coffee with a unique variety of flavors at an affordable price the next time you stop by.
Soda City Market
Saturday 9 a.m.-1 p.m. | 1300-1600 Main St., Columbia
Soda City is the one-stop marketplace in Columbia. Located on Main Street, the market hosts more than 100 vendors each week. This is a producer-only market, meaning only vendors that grow or make their products participate. Soda City features food vendors representing a wide range of cuisines, and artisans from the Southeast selling art, jewelry, furniture, apparel for all ages, and many more handcrafted items.
“It is a great atmosphere with fun food, a variety of vendors and people from all walks of life,” says Jordan Lowe, pyschology student at the University of South Carolina. “It always makes for an entertaining experience outside of school and there is something for everyone.”
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