The week before Easter is what Broadway Market general manager Kathy Peterson calls the “Super Bowl” for the East Side iconic public market.
It is no secret that the majority of the 300,000 people who make at least one annual visit to the Broadway Market come during its peak Easter season. It’s the big draw followed by Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The age-old dilemma is how to keep it relevant on a 12-month basis. Plan after plan has been floated but now, thanks to a $30 million Empire State Development allocation, the market is on the verge of beginning a long-term face lift, beginning next April just after the Easter and Dyngus Day holidays.
Peterson says the future is coming.
“So, 2026 Easter is early next year, it's April 5th, so right after that, in the spring of 2026 you'll see safety fences go up around the market to ensure the public safety,” Peterson said “The market will not close throughout the duration of the renovation. So, you'll see changes.”
The market has 27 permanent vendors but during the Easter season, it welcomes another 70 vendors that help fill the two-story, 90,000-square-foot building.
Vendors, especially those unique to the market, help attract shoppers.
“All our businesses are locally owned, family owned for years, and that's what brings people in. The butchers know the customer's name and know what they like and how they like it cut, and those are so important to bringing our customers,” Peterson said.
The vendors and shoppers agree with Peterson.
Wanda Skub, who for more than 40 years has run the Famous Horseradish booth in the market, says business is picking up. Skub sells more than 10,000 bottles of horseradish annually from her Broadway Market booth. Jett’s Bagels from East Aurora moved to the market this spring, and they sell as many as 1,000 bagels daily.
Peterson says the market will stay open during the renovation period, with the work being done in incremental stages. It should take three or four years to complete.
