East End Bazaar – Charleston, West Virginia
Just a few blocks away from the Capitol Market in Charleston is the East End Bazaar. While it doesn’t look like much, this market space serves a valuable function supporting farmers and makers. The low-cost and temporary looking structures here are the exact opposite of the Capitol Market. Both serve an important function contributing to the social, economic, and civic life of Charleston.
The Bazaar is open every Saturday, April-October, from 10am-3pm. Supporters include East End Main Street, West Virginia Main Street, the Charleston Urban Renewal Authority, and the City of Charleston.
While the pavement is rough, one can easily imagine this space teeming with life.
Individual covered vendor stalls line two sides of the rectangular shaped plaza. Shipping pallets are repurposed here as dividers with large red painted letters. This is tactical urbanism at its best.
A missed opportunity, however, is activating this space even when the weekly market is not open. Instead it is closed off behind a fence. Movable furniture and food trucks are two activation elements that would help to make this market an even more important element of community life.