When could Soda City Market reopen — and how will it be different in COVID-19 age?
The question of Soda City Market reopening on Saturdays in downtown Columbia is a matter of when, not if, market and city leaders say.
“Probably sooner than later,” said Emile DeFelice, the popular market’s founder and organizer.
Mayor Steve Benjamin said he feels confident the market could restart sometime in June.
DeFelice has been working on a safety plan for how Soda City will operate in the new age of the coronavirus pandemic, as businesses across South Carolina have begun to reopen with caution. City leaders are joining DeFelice in discussing when and how to bring back the market that is one of Columbia’s signature features, regularly drawing thousands of locals and visitors to Main Street on Saturday mornings.
The market has been canceled since mid-March, leaving more than 150 food, clothing and arts vendors without one of their most precious sources of income.
Most of the vendors DeFelice has been in touch with, he said, plan to return to the market when it reopens.
“I’m definitely not pushing this. It just has to happen safely. It does have to happen. A lot of people count on this for their livelihoods,” DeFelice said.
Safety is both the biggest priority and the biggest challenge for reopening the market, particularly when it comes to promoting social distancing to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, which has infected more than 9,100 South Carolinians and killed at least 407 as of this week.
“I think it’s entirely possible” to have a market environment with social distancing, Benjamin said. He added, “If we can successfully execute Soda City, we could provide a road map” for other outdoor events that are exploring what a safe return could look like.
DeFelice said he is continuing to work with city leaders to map out a plan for what the market could look like, and possible changes that are being considered include:
- Spacing out vendors over more blocks to allow for greater social distancing.
- Asking attendees and vendors to wear face masks and gloves.
- One-way walking traffic.
- Hand-washing or sanitizing stations.
None of these possibilities are definite, and logistical questions surround them: Would it be possible to require masks and enforce the wearing of them? Would the city provide hand-washing stations?
“These are the types of questions that, first of all, we’ve never asked before,” DeFelice said. “This is a case where everybody knows the same thing, which is sort of nothing. And, obviously, we have to err on the side of safety and science.”
While an exact reopening date is still uncertain, Soda City’s ability to return within a matter of weeks likely will depend on City Council passing a resolution to allow the market to expand to more blocks on Main Street, which would allow for more spacing among vendors.
In a recent survey of 58 regular market vendors, DeFelice found that just over half believe it is safe for the market to reopen at this time. But more vendors, about two-thirds, believe there would be enough foot traffic to justify reopening the market.
One vendor commented in the survey, “If there is little traffic, then the danger of reopening is ‘lower’ however the time and energy may not be worth it. However, if there is robust traffic, then while sales will easily justify the effort, the danger will be exponentially increased.”
Other vendors’ comments about the challenges of reopening included concerns about social distancing and enforcement of rules. One vendor said they worried that if some people do not follow safety guidelines at the market, other shoppers could be deterred from coming back in the future.
One vendor said in the survey they see “no challenges” for reopening Soda City. “People want to get out and support the small businesses. Tons of people want to get out. Those who want to stay home, can stay home,” the vendor wrote.
DeFelice said that whenever the market reopens, he plans to waive the regular weekly setup fee for vendors for the first week.
