Wednesday, April 20, 2016

fenton street market owner heads to colorado for a new start

the last Fenton Street Market (for now) in December. Photo by the author.
Over the past decade, you couldn't go far in Silver Spring without running into Megan Moriarty, community organizer and owner of outdoor craft bazaar Fenton Street Market. But in search of a new start and a new career, she headed to Colorado two weeks ago. Meanwhile, the market's got a new owner, but no word on when it'll return.

Moriarty grew up in Montgomery County, attending Sherwood High School and the University of Maryland at College Park, where she got a masters degree in urban planning. For much of the past decade, she's been one of a few young voices in the community, pushing to make Silver Spring more inclusive but also championing it through promoting local artists and business people.

She's been a organizer at IMPACT Silver Spring, served on the Silver Spring Citizens Advisory Board, and was elected president of the East Silver Spring Civic Association. She even convinced both of her parents to move to downtown Silver Spring.

In 2011, Megan was a volunteer at the market when she bought it from founder Hannah McCann. Over the next four years, she added vendors, live performers, and community events. She also expanded into pop-up events like Holidaze, a month-long holiday market, and started Grant Avenue Market, an outdoor antiques market in Takoma Park.

Fenton Street Market was a success, drawing dozens of vendors and thousands of shoppers from across the region. But it was a challenge making it a great place to shop and hang out, Megan told me at her going-away party a few weeks ago.