Have you noticed the barricades on North Sandusky Street on Saturday mornings this year? The block between William and Winter streets is closed to cars from 9 a.m. to noon, and the Main Street Delaware Farmers' Market sets up in the middle of the road. Main Street Delaware has run the market for years, but 2026 is the first time it has used the street instead of the sidewalks.
The change started as a safety fix. Over the season it has also turned one block into downtown's Saturday meeting point. New shops opened a few steps away, and the last October dates bring several downtown events onto that block. Four market Saturdays remain this year, and no one has said publicly yet whether the street will close again next year.
The Sidewalk Problem Behind the Barricades
According to Main Street Delaware, the old sidewalk setup had become too crowded. The nonprofit said packed sidewalks led to several close calls between people and vehicles. When the group announced the season in May, it said it had worked with the City of Delaware and the Delaware Police Department on a new layout meant to improve safety, reduce congestion and make the market more accessible.
The closure began as a one-month trial. On July 7, City Manager Paul Brake wrote to Main Street Delaware Executive Director Courtney Graf to say it would continue through Oct. 31. He said he had checked with Police Chief Moore and Captain Penrod and "we have not received any negative feedback that would warrant a change."
Brake gave two reasons in the letter. One was safety. The other was Main Street Delaware's role as a nonprofit that promotes downtown rather than one that makes money from it. "The open-sidewalk model had become too congested and created conflicts between attendees and vehicle traffic," he wrote.
That second reason matters beyond the market. The city is closing a downtown street because the event brings people to the businesses around it. Main Street Delaware's own announcement made the same case. It suggested starting the morning with a run with Columbus Running Company, breakfast at Hamburger Inn or Clō Wine Gallery & Lounge, samples at The Greater Gouda, and coffee from Fresh Start Café & Bakery, Coffeeology, Choffey's Coffee & Confections or Ciao Café. Mayor Carolyn Kay Riggle described the new layout as "thoughtful collaboration focused on safety, accessibility, and creating an even better experience for residents and visitors."
Before the season, Main Street Delaware expected more than 40 to 45 approved vendors each week. They planned to sell produce, honey, meat, eggs, plants, baked goods and handmade items. That number was a forecast. No final vendor count or attendance figure for 2026 has been published.
What Opened Within a Few Doors of the Market
The street closure fits with a busy year of openings on Sandusky and William streets. Several of them are close enough to visit between market stalls.
- Grandpa Joe's Candy Shop, 17 N. Sandusky St. Owner Chris Beers announced the opening in late June. FOX 28 described the shop as newly opened in a July 17 segment. It sits on the closed block itself.
- Betty's Cupcakes, 38 S. Sandusky St. Owners Betty Reeves and Bart Camoin opened in June.
- Espresso Air, 34 S. Sandusky St. The shop officially opened Aug. 12. It is the downtown location of owner Eslem Kucuker's family coffee business.
- Desi Tadka, 44 S. Sandusky St. The restaurant reopened June 6 under new owners Jass and Preet Chahal, after a renovation and a pre-licensing inspection on June 4.
- Hallihan's Irish Pub, 12 W. William St. Full service began in mid-September. John Cordas is a principal owner, along with Jason Adams, Amy Adams and Mike Barker.
A few blocks east, Open Btl has been pouring wine at 39 E. William St. since its March 20 grand opening. In August it announced that a rooftop patio, described as the only rooftop bar patio in Delaware, would open to the public in the last week of that month. On South Sandusky, Sid Tiwari and Raj Sabherwal are working on Sip n Spice Indian Bar & Grill at 12 S. Sandusky St. NBC4 reported in late August that they planned to open during the first week of September. We could not confirm that either the patio or the restaurant actually opened on those dates, so check before you plan a visit around them.
Main Street Delaware has also added practical help around the market and its events. The Delaware Welcome Center at 20 E. William St. now has a private room for pumping and breastfeeding during the group's special events. The Welcome Center is also where the October events check in.
Four Saturdays Left, and How Each One Differs
The market runs every Saturday through Oct. 31, except Oct. 10. Each of the four remaining dates is a little different.
| Saturday | Market hours | Also downtown that day |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 3 | 9 a.m. to noon | Morning after October First Friday |
| Oct. 10 | No market | None listed |
| Oct. 17 | 9 a.m. to noon | None listed |
| Oct. 24 | 9 a.m. to noon | Fall Flavor Stroll, 2 to 7 p.m. |
| Oct. 31 | 9 a.m. to noon | Trick-or-Treat Down Main Street, 9 a.m. to noon |
The Oct. 3 market follows tonight's October First Friday, "Stop, Drop, and Dance!" It runs 6 to 9 p.m. and includes fire-prevention activities and vehicles, music from Rock School, Hispanic Heritage Month programming with DJ Lani G., more than 100 vendors, and food vendors. First Fridays this year also include a fully accessible mobile restroom with a wheelchair lift, a ceiling hoist and an adult changing table.
Oct. 24 is the only day this month with two downtown events. The market closes at noon, and the new Fall Flavor Stroll starts at 2 p.m. Main Street Delaware describes the stroll as a chance to taste fall flavors from many downtown businesses. Tickets cost $20. Check-in is only from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Welcome Center, where you pick up a wristband, a list of participating businesses and a bag for treats. If you arrive after 4 p.m., you won't be able to check in, even though tasting continues until 7.
Oct. 31 closes the season. Trick-or-Treat Down Main Street takes place during the final market, from 9 a.m. to noon. Every market vendor and some downtown businesses will hand out treats. You can pick up a list of participating businesses at the Welcome Center that morning, or check Main Street Delaware's social media for it. If you saw an older event page listing a late-October date, that page is from 2025. The 2026 calendar shows Oct. 31.
After the market ends, the next big downtown evening is the November First Friday, "Community Harvest," on Nov. 6 from 6 to 9 p.m. It will have booths from nonprofits and service organizations, a Paint-a-Plow display, a pie-eating contest and a food-drive competition.
What Is Still Undecided on the Block
The city extended the closure for the 2026 season. Neither Main Street Delaware nor the City of Delaware has said whether the market will use North Sandusky Street again in 2027. Brake's letter said police would keep making "minor operational adjustments" and supported the closure "primarily for safety reasons." That decision covered this season only.
The biggest change still coming to the block is at 18 N. Sandusky St., across from Grandpa Joe's. The Miller Building was built in 1854 and sat empty for four years. Liz Hauswald and Christopher Collins bought it in June 2024. They own Nvironment, a design and architecture firm that specializes in restaurants and food halls, and they moved its headquarters there from Columbus. According to Collins, the second and third floors had mostly been storage since around 1940. Studio 201 Hair Company and Lewis Rachel Insurance have since moved into upstairs space.
The 10,000-square-foot ground floor is planned as 1854 Market Hall, with a wine bar, a full bar, golf simulators, up to four food stalls and open gathering space. Collins said the stalls are for small operators, such as food trucks ready for a permanent location, who could lease a 500- to 600-square-foot space that already has a kitchen hood. In April the owners were aiming to open by Thanksgiving. They said construction might happen in phases, that they had letters of intent for the bar, and that they were looking for other tenants. We have found no public update since, so treat the Thanksgiving target as the April plan and not a confirmed date.
Collins explained the project in terms of the same block the market now fills on Saturdays. "This building and the building across the street, historically, were always the center of the community, so we're hoping to bring that back," he said, as reported by Delaware Source. If the market hall opens on schedule, it will be the first new indoor gathering space on that block after the market season ends Oct. 31.
If you're wondering how a closed street, a new food hall or a busier downtown block might affect homes nearby, Sue Sachdeva is glad to talk it through with you. Let's Connect.
