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Astoria Sunday Market leaders tell budget committee market draws about 150,000 visitors per season
Summary
Astoria Sunday Market leaders told the budget committee the market supports about 150 vendors weekly, has seen sales rise to roughly $2.1 million for the market in 2025, and estimates about 150,000 visitors per market season; the market sought grant support to sustain operations and outreach.
Quinn Hayes, executive director of the Astoria Downtown Historic District Association, and Tamara Cameron, Sunday Market director, told the Astoria Budget Committee on March 5 that the Astoria Sunday Market is a major draw for the downtown economy and sought Transient Room Tax grant support.
Hayes described ADHDA’s visitor resources — a website that drives about 2,005 unique impressions per month and printed materials that include 25,000 shopping and dining maps distributed annually. "We got a $400,000 grant for the Copeland Commons last year, and that brings us close to the million dollar mark in the last 10 years alone," Hayes said.
Cameron presented market performance figures: "Last year, total vendor sales for all 3 markets was 2,300,000 plus dollars," she told the committee, and said the Astoria Sunday Market’s sales grew from about $1.5 million in 2022 to $2.1 million in 2025. She said the market fields roughly 150 vendors on its footprint each week and uses crowd counts and annual dot‑survey assessments to estimate attendance; crowd estimates ranged from roughly 4,000 on rainy days to about 10,000 on opening or holiday weekends, which Cameron said amounts to about 150,000 people across the market season.
Committee members asked about vendor selection and potential conflicts. One member noted for the record that they serve on the Astoria Sunday Market jury that reviews vendor applications; Cameron confirmed the jury reviewed 92 new applications the previous day and that returning vendors numbered about 167. Committee members also asked whether the market is self‑sustaining; Cameron said she could calculate the market’s self‑support figures and follow up but did not have the exact number on hand.
The market’s data and outreach materials were made available on the organization’s website and in printed annual reports, presenters said. The committee heard these details as it weighed grant allocations intended to support events, vendor opportunities and visitor services in downtown Astoria.
What’s next: The committee incorporated the market’s request into its spreadsheet of recommended awards later in the meeting.
