BIDDEFORD — On a typical Saturday morning, local residents could be found sitting at brunch tables downtown, strolling through the city streets or sifting through the stalls of local markets.

For nearly six years, the Saco River Market has been an attraction for hundreds of Biddeford and Saco residents, and those from surrounding communities, aching to buy local produce and handcrafted jewelry, clothing and craft goods. People flocked to the market, located in a vacant mill building on Saco Island, every Saturday, where vendors and customers exchanged goods and smiles, and made memories.

But now, with its former home up for auction by the city of Saco, the market is now scrambling to find a permanent place to stay.

The former mill was acquired by the city with the intent of auctioning it off for development, said Marrick Auger, treasurer of the market’s Steering Committee.

“(The city was) were great and let us stay, but in the long run the city is not really interested in mill buildings,” said Auger. “We knew eventually we will have to find a new home if it sold.”

And find a new home, they did – or so they thought.

Plans were set to permanently relocate the market to the Christ Episcopal Church at 18 Crescent St., Biddeford, which is currently the location of Seeds of Hope. But, after announcement of the move, the market ran into trouble with the city.

“We searched high and low and we found this church. We worked with the acting minister, the preacher that was there, and we started moving in and we came up some zoning issues,” Auger said. “The building is actually not zoned for retail.”

And so, as quickly as they came, they now have to go. It’s a headache not only for those who run the market, which is entering its sixth winter, but for those who have been selling their goods there for years.

“It’s a little stressful. I have to rely on somebody to help me move. You feel bad imposing on somebody because this stuff is heavy,” said Sue Davis, a 31/2 year veteran of the market who sells custom light switch plates. “This venue is gorgeous; it’s such a shame. We could really turn this into something fabulous.”

Organizers of the weekly market hope to establish a permanent home in the next few weeks. Auger believes the market will establish residency at the Pepperell Center, located next to Portland Pie Co., as early as this Saturday.

If that space is utilized, vendors would no longer be able to leave their goods unattended until the following week’s market, as has been done in the past. Despite this, Auger said she will be happy to again be located in a mill building reminiscent of the market’s origins.

“The mill buildings is (sic) what makes Saco and Biddeford what it is. If we can be a part of that, then we’ll be set,” she said. “I would personally love to be in mill buildings. It’s very close to where we started, closer to the river, more central. It’ll be good.”

Organizers and vendors are thankful for the community’s support during their difficult transition. Without the community, Auger said, the market would cease to exist.

“It’s our customers that keep us going. We could find the best space in the world, but if our customers don’t come, we don’t have anything,” she said. “I can find vendors any day of the week, but it’s finding the vendors the customers want and it’s being consistent for the customers.”

There are more than 60 day vendors who trickle in and out of the market throughout the year, Auger said. Many in attendance on Saturday agreed the market wouldn’t be able to survive the transition without a strong base of customer support, and said they want to continue serving the community.

“We’ll try to stick it out,” said Daniel Mays of Frith Farm in Scarborough, who recently joined the long list of vendors. “I want to try and help and get them through this challenge of finding a home.”

Auger said she is hopeful that, despite a few setbacks, the market will return to its former glory in its new home at the Pepperell Center. Above all else, she’s just glad to be part of a community that cares.

“We’ve gone through thick and thin to run this market,” she said. “There are some customers that keep coming back even when they know we’re going to be slow, and it really is like a core of people that support each other.”

— Staff Writer Alan Bennett can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 329 or [email protected].