“How many falafels do we need?” Lisa Markuson asked a line of shoppers waiting for a snack at the Sababa falafel stand in Eastern Market. “It’s going to be coming up so soon,” she told the crowd. “Fresh, glowing, golden and piping-hot.” Markuson has worked at the Sababa falafel stand at Eastern Market near Capitol Hill since January. Sababa, which is Israeli slang for “awesome,” is one of hundreds of stands lining the streets.
The market, which runs Tuesday to Sunday year-round, is always full with a mix of vendors. Produce and flowers sit across from paintings, hand-made clothes and decorative frames for light switches.
| If you go |
| Eastern Market |
| Where: 225 Seventh St. SE |
| When: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, closed Monday |
Food stands offer samples of fresh produce, hummus dips and garlic pickles to hungry visitors who peruse everything from bath salts to a painting of Bob Marley.
Locals and frequent visitors said the market is at its best on Sundays, though they encourage people to arrive early.
“I like that it’s local and that money goes back to the local community,” Ashley Barnes said as she browsed. Barnes carried bags full of the day’s purchases, including Amish sharp cheddar cheese.
Mike Tanoory stood behind a table a few stands down from Barnes. Sporting a shirt with a turtle riding a slug, Tanoory showed off his artwork. His designs, including the shirt he calls “slow night,” are available on clothes, cards and prints.
Tanoory, whose inspiration comes from comics and cartoons, has only shown at the market half a dozen times, but said he loves the atmosphere.
“I’ll probably be here every week,” he said. “Halloween weekend, I’ll be in my Spider-Man costume handing out candy. Hopefully it doesn’t scare people away.”
The market is full of quirks and peculiarity. Back at the falafel stand, Markuson encouraged a woman to try the pickled baby eggplant on her falafel sandwich.
“We do this thing where we play charades and make people guess “pickle,” “baby” and “eggplant,” she said. “No one ever guesses it, so we should probably stop doing that.”
The market is accepting vendor applications, specifically for farmers, prepared food, artists, antiques and vendors of ethno-specific imports.
