Credit: Google Maps
Rice’s Market, an outdoor shopping staple for more than a century, announced Tuesday that it will close its doors at the end of the year.
The outdoor market, which sits on approximately 40 acres along Greenhill Road in Solebury Township, will hold its final day of operation on Tuesday, Dec. 29.
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Management confirmed the market will maintain its regular schedule—opening Tuesdays, Saturdays, and Black Friday—until the final day of operation.
“After over a hundred years of being part of this community, we have made the difficult decision to close our doors at the end of the year,” market management said in a statement posted to Facebook Tuesday.
Over the decades, the venue served as an incubation space for small businesses and independent vendors.
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In Tuesday’s announcement, management noted the market’s role as a launchpad for local commercial ventures, as well as its presence in regional culture.
“This has been an incubator for side hustles and small businesses, a staple in shopping adventures and for better or worse long traffic lines that were part of the experience for so many years,” the statement read. “Some vendors stayed for a season, some for decades, and many grew from a small table or booth here into thriving businesses of their own.”
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Management cited changing economic conditions and changing retail dynamics in recent years as factors preceding the decision.
The market’s statement recalled the early morning crowds, fresh pretzels, lemonade, pork roll sandwiches, and generations of local kids working their first jobs.
“As our doors close, we hope you will remember to keep choosing small,” the statement said. “Find the local business and buy from them, stop at the farm stand, visit the independent shop, hire the person who turned their hobby into a business.”
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According to the market’s website, commercial activity on the property dates back to 1860, when it originated as farmland owned by A.L. Rice. The market expanded during the 1950s beyond agricultural goods to include a variety of merchandise.
Earlier this year, the Bucks County Herald reported that the property is owned and operated by Robert and Barbara Blanche.
