For the first time in who knows how long, this summer Humboldt fish-eaters will be able to stroll around in an open-air market, browsing and purchasing fresh, local seafood products from local fishermen. It’s everything you love about the Farmer’s Market, but with fish. And other seafood products.

The Humboldt Dockside Market — a longtime brainchild of Ashley Vellis, of Ashley’s Seafood, who is teaming up with the North Coast Growers’ Association — makes its debut this Saturday, June 7, at Eureka’s Madaket Plaza, on the foot of C Street, at 9 a.m., and will run until 1 p.m. From there, it will continue every other week until late October or early November.

Though no one could have seen this in advance, it turns out not to have been an ideal date to launch the market. Though the weather on land has been gorgeous and is only forecast to get more gorgeous still, it’s rough out on those seas — meaning the fishing, this week, is somewhat hampered, Vellis told the Outpost.

“Options will be limited, unfortunately,” she said.

Nevertheless, she says that she hopes that local fishermen will have California halibut available for sale. And there’ll also be locally grown oysters and seaweed vendors dockside, should you be tempted by those things. If you have your heart set on halibut, you might want to get there early, and stay for the official market ribbon-cutting at 10 a.m.

In the coming months, Vellis said, there should be a cornucopia of locally caught seafood available: crab, albacore, halibut, smelt, sand dabs, ling cod and multiple species of rockfish. Salmon is still a possibility: Even though the California season has been closed for the year, again, some local fishermen have Oregon licenses. Vellis said the market is trying to work through the red tape involved of letting those fishermen sell their catch at the market here.

If you’re liking what you’re hearing, maybe give the Humboldt Dockside Market a follow on Facebook and/or Instagram. They have a bunch of profiles of local fishermen up there, and in the future, Vellis says, they’ll post updates on where and what those fishermen might be selling dockside in between markets.

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In other what-a-great-time-to-be-alive news, Eureka’s beloved Friday Night Market returns this week! You know the drill — street vendors, adult beverages, live music and food trucks galore every Friday night in June, July and August, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. It’s a party.

Kicking us off this Friday on the Gazebo stage will be that’s-how-we-do-it-in-Humboldt musical darling Brett McFarland and his band.

As you know, every Friday Night Market has a dress-up theme, for those inclined to dress up. Here is this month’s schedule.

  • June 6: Coastal Creatures (with Humboldt Dockside Market): Celebrate the sea with mermaids, sailors, and ocean-themed attire.
  • June 13: Myth & Mischief (with Dell’Arte): Goblins, fauns, tricksters, and local legends come to life in this imaginative, theatrical evening.
  • June 20: Golden Hour (with North Coast Rape Crisis Team): A solstice-inspired “Yellow Day”—be the sun, emit light, and shine bright.
  • June 27: Retro Rodeo: Think 70s cowboy—bell bottoms, fringe, and disco western boots.

Check the Friday Night Market website for more info. Here and here are their socials.