A highly-anticipated marketplace is about to make its mark in Palmerton.

The Palmerton Public Market will open its doors with a soft opening starting at 10 a.m. Wednesday at 266 Delaware Ave., the site of the former Shea’s Hardware Inc.

“We’re expecting to have all our vendors ready to go,” said Karen Smith, who along with her husband, Allen, purchased the property. “There will be friendly faces, lots of vendors providing their goods, fresh foods.”

Smith said the market will be comprised of AK Farms LLC, Sleepy Cat Urban Winery, River Rock Bean Brew, JW Farms & Homestead, Todd’s Island Seafood, The Shutter House, S & E Natural Soaps LLC, as well as produce from local farms.

She explained the inside is one big open room, with vendors who will line the sides of the first floor.

“It was doing a lot of deconstruction and construction, getting water and sewer to the vendors, painting, getting the butcher shop moved up there,” Smith said. “We want customers to have a pleasant experience here, and frequent us often.”

She said they will have about 15 part-time employees in conjunction with the Palmerton Public Market and AK Farms.

“There’s been a lot of hype about parking, on-street parking; there’s three free parking lots,” Smith said. “It’s a huge, walkable town.”

Smith gave a special thank you to the Neff’s National Bank for their financing support.

The couple, of Northampton, have owned AK Farms in Northampton for the past 12 years, and are planning to move the butcher shop to the Palmerton Public Market.

Smith noted she and her husband will continue to run AK Farms at their farm in Northampton, and now in Palmerton.

She said the couple’s business, AK Farms, has been featured prominently throughout the area in recent years, including at the Slatington Farmers Market, which they have since left to pursue their newest endeavor.

The Palmerton Public Market will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Smith said they are still accepting food vendors who would be interested in joining them at the Palmerton Public Market, and may contact her at 610-248-0396.

A sale had been pending for the former Shea’s Hardware store for the second time in less than two years.

In June, Jim Christman, of the Jim Christman Team — Keller Williams Real Estate, said the property was under contract.

Christman said at that time the asking price for the property was $310,000.

After nearly 70 years in operation, Shea’s Hardware shut its doors on Oct. 14, 2023.

Bernie Shea, former owner/president, said at the time that real estate and all the buildings had been sold to local businessman Mark Stemler.

Shea said the time had come for he and his wife, Debbie, to retire.

Shea’s father, Donald Shea Jr., bought the business from Bert Shipe in 1954.

“We’re still very friendly with Bernie,” Smith said. “We want to honor their (Shea’s Hardware) legacy by showing some of their goods, and take the Palmerton Public Market to a different level.”