263 Marketplace Celebrates First Anniversary

It took some trial and error to find the right fit for the massive commercial space seated on York Road, right across . After PathMark left, it sat vacant for long stretches of time before another tenent would try its luck. Not long after opening, the new store would suddenly disappear and leave the building empty yet again.

After a year in operation, it looks like the vendors housed in the have found the answer: Instead of one, single retailer, gather a bunch of small, independent merchants to offer browsers a unique, indoor flea market experience.

"I have people come in all the time who have just discovered this place," says Mary McAnally, owner of Ivyland Kitchens, which sells cooking gadgets and supplies. "They've driven by before, but never actually came in. They are always surprised about how much we have going on in here."

The 263 Marketplace is marking its first anniversary this weekend and next weekend. On Saturday, will put on a skills demonstration from 2-3 p.m. The Hair Cuttery from Huntingdon Valley will host a Heart of Hair Charity Event on Sunday, 2-4 p.m., featuring raffles and live entertainment to raise money for Kayla Kares, a foundation for pediatric research. Also scheduled to appear on Sunday is the new Philadelphia Flyers forward Wayne Simonds.

McAnally hopes the big events will draw the same type of crowds they saw when they first opened.

"We had great foot traffic right up until May," said McAnally. "That's when we started to compete with the outdoor markets. Hopefully with the weather getting colder and Christmas coming up, we'll get them back."

The variety of booths include home improvement experts, fashion accessories, sports memoribilia and gift shops. The big draw, arguably, is the food selections. Shoppers can snack on all kinds of sweets, ice cream or lunch items as they browse.

"There's barbecue, pastry items," said McAnally. "It's a little tougher to get an application approved for a food booth, because there needs to be more fixtures installed, such as sinks or ovens, and they have to be up to code."

The 263 Marketplace is open Fri.-Sat. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m.