Sometimes change is subtle, and sometimes it’s not.

When the West Shore Farmers Market burned to the ground in the Spring of 1999, everyone noticed. This spectacular demise of a Central Pennsylvania institution left West Shorers scrambling to find a new source of fresh produce, meats cut to suit the customer, Central PA specialties such as Hanover’s Chips and cup cheese, flowers, spices, candies, coffee, and gourmet delicacies. Sure, the temporarily relocated West Shore Market stopped the gap, but only for the time being. Cramped and limited, it was never expected to replace the real thing.

Meanwhile, the historic Broad Street Market in Harrisburg was seeing a steady increase in traffic. Under the relatively new leadership of Barbara Skelly, who came on as Broad Street Market Manager in 1997, this midtown Harrisburg colossus was appealing to the lunch crowd in its front building every day of the week except Sunday and Monday. It was drawing in some of the West Shorers, purely out of desperation for the kind of fresh produce and meats market shoppers cannot do without. It was pulling in the downtown crowd with its quaint free so-called "trolley" service at lunchtime. It was attracting people with entertainment … and more.

And the shoppers increased in number.

But what will happen when the new, behemoth, two story, well-lit, air-conditioned, carefully designed West Shore Market, scheduled to open in June on Market Street in Lemoyne, just yards from the site of the original West Shore Market, seizes hold of the imaginations of the even the most inveterate Broad Street Market shoppers? Are there enough Marketeers to keep both "shores’" markets booming?

For those who don’t know, the Broad Street Market at North Third and Verbeke Streets in Harrisburg has been a continuous operating farmers’ market for 140 years. During the Civil War, vendors at the market helped feed over 300,000 Union soldiers who mustered through Camp Curtin. Serving Harrisburg since 1860, the market has become a historic landmark as well as an integral part of the Harrisburg community (every time you visit the market you’re sure to bump into someone you know).

In Harrisburg, one good thing going for historic buildings is the grants you can get for renovating and improvements. Improvements on the outside are a little harder to get past the architectural review board (just like getting past mom while wearing "inappropriate" clothing), but internal improvements are full speed ahead in the Midtown Historic District.

The Broad Street Market is comprised of two large buildings with a courtyard between them. The one facing North Third Street is built of stone and commonly referred to as the "Stone Building." The "Brick Building" sits behind it going up towards Sixth Street. Since 1997, the occupancy rate in the Stone Building has increased from 46% to 75%, and the Brick Building from 77% occupancy to 99.2%. The size of the market and number of vendors is impressive, and when there are activities outside in the courtyard, it’s people from end-to-end. During the 140th Anniversary Celebration held just last week, the market felt more like a meeting place than a place to shop.

Over the last year the inside of the Broad Street Market has been cleaned and scrubbed, old stalls have been torn down and new ones built, all improving the look and feel of the market. Thanks to available grants, hard work, great vendors, and good management, the Broad Street Market has a great place not only to pick up a few veggies once in awhile, but also to pop over for lunch at the new "Market Café" (closed Mondays). A free Capital Area Transit (CAT) shuttle runs from downtown to the Market during weekday lunch hours. Several vendors (two of which, Pasta Art and Broad Street Breads, are CIA graduates) are available for catering parties and events, and are great for figuring out what’s for the family dinner tonight.

When the West Shore Farmers Market burned down a year ago many dedicated West Shore residents came to the Broad Street Market for the first time, and some have become regulars. "Some even shop both markets," reports Skelly. Why? "Because market people love markets," Skelly says, with a touch of tautology. Skelly declined to comment on whether there are fears about the soon-to-come competition, but she stresses that the increase in business at the Broad Street Market has been mainly due to "a lot of hard work."

New vendors now go through an application process that takes a serious look at what the vendor has to offer, even considering how beneficial the stall will be to the Market as a whole. It’s this screening that’s given the Stone Building the wide variety of international foods and diverse flavors. There’s everything from A to Z (not to mention an ATM machine toward the rear of the building). Here you can feast on something as simple as (the delightfully delicious) baked potato at Tater Mullens, authentic Mexican food from The Aztec (whose owners hail from Mexico City), deli style sandwiches from Growlers & Meowers, or exotic foods from Sahara Winds (an authentic middle eastern family serving halal — kosher — meat). And that’s just to name a few!

In the Brick Building there’s a continuation of food vendors, several fresh produce stands (Hoovers Produce was just sold to an Amish family), fresh cut meats and fish, and an assortment of vendors selling gifts and dry goods. As you enter the building from the courtyard you smell the wonderful aroma of fresh baked bread from Broad Street Breads, Miller Springs offers holistic and natural foods, Garden Fresh (the produce vendor in the rear of the building) even has checkout lanes with cash registers that help keep up with their booming business.

No farmers’ market is complete without flower vendors and there are several spread throughout the two buildings. The newest one, opened only one month ago, is Urban Garden in the Stone Building. Urban Garden is a treat for the city eyes, with its outdoorsy gazebo setting. Owner William Swain said he always wanted to be downtown and he chose to open up shop in the Broad Street Market because of the people and because he "saw the open space and my imagination went wild."

Overall, when you talk to the vendors and customers of the Broad Street Market, the consensus of opinion is that it’s safe here and that there is an eclectic mix of people. New business owner Mara Mullen confessed that it was her husband’s idea to capitalize on people’s love of her twice-baked potatoes. The idea has caught on and she has quickly gained new customers. Mullen, West Shore resident, and owner of Tater Mullens, says, "This building’s really coming about."

Customers who remain regular shoppers at the West Shore Farmers Market (even in the the temporary space) almost unanimously agree that convenience is the main draw. Customers travel from as far away as Mechanicsburg to Lemoyne. One Mechanicsburg resident commented she had only gone as far as the Broad Street Market when the West Shore facility was completely down. She thought the Broad Street facility "pretty nice," but the drive was prohibitive.

One Lemoyne resident said she hadn’t shopped the Broad Street Market for years, even though she has many friends that do, because she lives close enough to walk to the West Shore Market. Liza Gingrich, a farmers market connoisseur from York, commented that "if you love farmers markets, you will shop them wherever you are," but she added that they have to be "not dingy" and that "the vendors must have quality products."

So, it’s not just logistics, it is not just luck or the bad fortune of the West Shore Farmers Market in 1999. It’s not just because it’s the oldest "hot-spot" in town that the Broad Street Market is growing. It’s the grants that have provided now roofing, water systems, heating and air for comfort. It’s the great vendors that provide all the goodies for the insides of the buildings, and entertainers that fill the courtyards with people every third Saturday of the month. It’s the community that keeps coming back and the newbies just shopping the Market for the first time. It’s planning; it’s hard work. Perhaps there’s some magic of history of the Broad Street Market that simply can’t be replaced by any new facility. But for sure, the allure of a new facility will draw its fair share to Lemoyne. Only time will tell how successful both of our farmers markets will remain.

If you haven’t been to the Broad Street Market lately, get yourself over there! Remember when you were young and your mother taught you "don’t judge a book by its cover"? Just because the West Shore Farmers’ Market will have air conditioning doesn’t mean there isn’t enough pull on Broad Street to keep the customers thronging to both so-called "shores."

Sometimes we believe stodgy old exteriors work only for politicians. But in fact, they can work for the agora, too.