The new Oshawa Markets hold grand opening this weekend

After a few false starts the grand opening of the Oshawa Markets is a go this weekend.

The opening had been delayed a few weeks as some of the vendors, after a long time away, took some time to get back up to speed and the final touches on the facility were put in place.

Owner Erik Tamm, who proclaimed on his Facebook page the “Wait is Over,” said he was at about 85 per cent capacity at the 90,000 sq. ft building – the former Zellers store – on Simcoe Street South in Oshawa.

“We’ll be at 100 per cent capacity in the next few weeks,” he said Friday afternoon while doing a final walk through with the Oshawa Fire Chief.

The food court should be open in the next couple of weeks and Tamm said he has added a washroom trailer to supplement the men’s washroom while it gets finished as well.

“We appreciate your patience,” Tamm said. “From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for supporting small business and giving us a home for a long, long time to come.”

The market operated in Pickering as the very popular Pickering Markets from 1973 to late 2020 when COVID-19 restrictions forced its closure.

When the Oshawa Market reaches capacity next month there will be more than 300 vendors – a mix of old and new – and 24-plus food vendors.

The Oshawa Market will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.