The Saturday farmers market in Ellicott City doesn’t officially begin until 9 a.m., but on a recent sunny June morning, many of the dozen-plus vendors opened earlier. Before long, customers formed lines to purchase savory empanadas, sourdough, and bright red heirloom tomatoes as vendors made small talk with regular customers.

Guests piled onto picnic benches at Tiber Park, located at the bottom of this hilly historic town that dates to 1772. Adults and kids dug into croissant sandwiches and Nutella-filled crepes while listening to local musician Mike Walls, who pivoted from Bob Dylan to “Wheels on the Bus” during his opening number.

Held from Memorial Day weekend to late October, the Old Ellicott City Farmers Market debuted last year, bringing foot traffic and enlivening a town hit hard by two floods (in 2016 and 2018) and the economic toll of the pandemic.

“The farmers market is the best new thing I’ve seen out of Ellicott City in the past 10 years,” says Mark Hemmis, owner of Phoenix Upper Main, a restaurant known for its extensive beer selection. “It’s been a tremendous addition to town. It really brings some life.”

The farmers market is just one of the additions that have contributed to what some locals describe as a comeback for a beloved shopping and dining destination. Visitors from around the state shop at its independent businesses housed in preserved 18th- and 19th-century buildings replete with distinctive architectural details like intricate ironwork. A host of new businesses, a weekend shuttle that moves people up and down Main Street’s steep slope—not to mention a county-led flood mitigation plan—have also boosted optimism among locals.

“I think we’re on the cusp of a renaissance down here,” says Matt Krist, who owns Backwater Books & Bibliopub with his wife, Alli.

The former teachers opened the bookstore in 2022 and the bar, which serves beer, wine, and nonalcoholic drinks, the following year. According to Alli, people who haven’t been to Ellicott City in years are “rediscovering” the place and feel like it’s coming back.

The Ellicott City Partnership, the nonprofit that supports the town’s small businesses, says it no longer tracks foot traffic. But many entrepreneurs anecdotally report growing sales and increased shoppers, though performance will naturally vary across the more than 80 businesses in town. The town’s most recent SpringFest, held in April, was the busiest for The Wine Bin since the festival began 12 years ago.

“It was slammed,” says owner Dave Carney of his 18-year-old wine shop. “I love seeing the town hopping.”

That sentiment is a far cry from how Ellicott City would have been described only a few short years ago, when two floods killed three people and devastated shops. Main Street was shut down for nearly a month after the May 2018 flood, straining business owners’ cash flow. Eventually, flood damage resulted in several buildings being demolished (though some architectural elements were salvaged and repurposed elsewhere in town).

Several cherished restaurants left the town for good after the second flood, including Portalli’s, Cacao Lane, and the humming coffee shop Bean Hollow Cafe. The devastating damage prompted Gordon Ramsey to highlight Ellicott City on his “24 Hours to Hell and Back” series, spotlighting several businesses in the town. Among them was the Jaxon Edwin Social House, which closed due to the pandemic soon after the episode aired.

“The first flood was shocking and heartbreaking,” says Julia Sanger, past president of the Ellicott City Partnership. “The second flood was soul-crushing.”

Sanger and her mother, Donna, own a 10-year-old gourmet food and cookware store, Park Ridge Trading Co., and, until last April, a popular ice cream stall, Park Ridge Creamery.

“THE FIRST FLOOD WAS SHOCKING AND HEARTBREAKING…THE SECOND FLOOD WAS SOUL-CRUSHING.”

Floods are nothing new for Ellicott City. It has experienced at least eight floods in its history, the earliest recorded in 1868. During storms, water from the Patapsco River and creeks rushes down the sloped valley, gaining speed as it descends, making downtown prone to high water. But the most recent ones prompted Howard County officials to make substantial changes to prevent the same type of lasting damage from happening again as part of its Ellicott City Safe and Sound Plan.

The $350 million that have been secured for the project come from local, state, and federal sources. Some county residents have grumbled about the use of taxpayer money, but the county says that they were able to use grants, low-interest loans, and federal dollars in addition to local and state funding.

Construction began two years ago on a mile-long, 18-foot-wide tunnel that will divert 26,000 gallons of water per second from Main Street into the Patapsco River. A tunnel boring machine, nicknamed “Rocky,” began tearing through the granite blocking the path this summer and will wrap up in the fall of 2027. The plan also calls for five stormwater retention ponds, three of which have been completed.

Vendors say that the flood mitigation work has been slow-moving, but they’re cautiously optimistic that the damage won’t be as excessive during the next big storm.

“I hope that what they’re investing in now changes the future for Ellicott City,” says Tammy Beideman. She owns Sweet Elizabeth Jane, a women’s clothing and accessories shop on Main Street.

When flash flooding occurs in Ellicott City, the buildings at the lowest elevations are most vulnerable. The 2016 flood prompted Beideman, whose shop once resided near the bottom of Main Street, to move a couple blocks up the hill to higher ground.

Hemmis also moved to a safer spot. His former restaurant, the Phoenix Emporium, was one of the four flood ravaged buildings the county slated for demolition (it was ultimately torn down in 2024). So, in 2020, he purchased the former Ellicott Mills Brewing Co. four blocks up the street, renamed it Phoenix Upper Main, merged the concepts, and retained many staff from the restaurant when he acquired it.

Turns out, the upheaval was fortuitous—Hemmis says that being in a larger space with 250 seats allows him to serve bigger groups and host more banquets, boosting sales by five to six percent the last few years.

“We did a fairly good banquet business at the previous location. And now that I’m up here, we’ve got more room to do it,” he says.

In place of the demolished buildings, the county expanded Tiber Park, an expanse of green with cornhole games and planters. The park also hosts the tree-lighting ceremony during the holidays and a community art project during SpringFest in addition to being a space for young kids to play.

“The Tiber Park space has been an amazing addition,” Sanger says. “It feels more open and welcoming.”

Other improvements to the town include the Ellicott City “trolley,” a free, 14-passenger county van that runs on Saturdays and Sundays along Main Street. Inspired by a streetcar that operated here for 50 years in the 19th and 20th centuries, it eases congestion along Main Street and helps people with mobility challenges traverse the steep incline.

Vendors note that it’s especially needed during the town’s two major festivals, autumn’s Main Street Music Fest and SpringFest, when food trucks, artists, and musicians take over one of the bigger parking lots.

Several businesses that opened since the 2020 pandemic have infused the town with new energy and broadened the appeal of an area once known primarily for its antiques stores. Doc Taylor’s Toy Emporium, a whimsical purveyor of games and toys, and The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar draw families. The boba and sweet shop Sugar Plum Tea & Pastry opened in a spot formerly held by the Jaxon Edwin Social House of Gordon Ransey infamy. Umi Sushi became the town’s first Japanese restaurant in 2019 and has expanded its indoor space twice. On warmer days, diners rush to its serene patio, where they can hear the water flowing down the Tiber River.

New business owners have reinvigorated the town, Sanger says. “All they know is that they love this town, and that is kind of infectious.”

Once the site of a significant department store that lasted 50 years, the historic Caplan’s building opened last fall as an incubator for small Howard County businesses. The Market at Caplan’s features local artisan pasta makers, Black-owned beauty businesses, and pottery studios.

Home decor and gift shop store Lucky Lane Interiors and Al’s Love Cafe, which employs neurodivergent employees, opened this year. The Wine Bin’s Carney is opening a small plates restaurant and cocktail bar, Vesper at Pike & Main, this summer. He brought on Howard County native Rachel Bindel to lead the kitchen. Her impressive culinary stints include the lauded Charleston, South Carolina, restaurant Husk and the Michelin-starred D.C. restaurants Gravitas and the now-shuttered Tail Up Goat.

Carney says he hopes Vesper will fill the town’s need for an intimate spot that’s special enough for date nights but \ casual enough to attract regulars who tune in for the changing menu.

“Restaurants drive business,” says Carney, who notes that Ellicott City has yet to regain many of the eateries it lost to the floods. “I think [Vesper] is going to help.”

“THIS IS A VERY STUBBORN GROUP OF PEOPLE. AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE TOWN IS RESILIENT.”

As space becomes available, new tenants are stepping in, an indicator that Ellicott City still has the cachet to attract businesses. Take for example the eminent French eatery Tersiguel’s, which bid adieu in December after 50 years in business. This year it’s been replaced by River House On Main. “People want to come here and start a business down here,” Sanger says.

More events are also bringing people back to the town. The spring and fall festivals have always been a key driver of foot traffic in Ellicott City, but there are small community events, too. The Wine Bin’s parking lot overflows with adults and kids taking in blockbuster and classic films on Saturday nights in the summer—a seasonal event Carney has been hosting for 17 years. Other business owners are hosting their own gatherings.

With its cozy reading nooks, live music, and author events, Backwater Books has captivated literary lovers of all ages. Hosting poetry readings, live music, book clubs, and other events nearly every night, the bookstore has become a community hub.

“We joke that we’re a community center that’s masquerading as a bookstore,” Matt Krist says.

Sweet Elizabeth Jane hosts jewelry-making classes and farmers market vendor Enchanted Flower Farm has led bouquet-making workshops, adding another layer of experiences for customers. The goal of these events isn’t necessarily to generate a ton of same-day sales. Beideman explains that gatherings like these build community, and community supports business.

“People feel like they’re a part of something,” she says.

Beideman says business is better than ever. She attributes it to several changes she made to her shop, such as focusing more on local professional women rather than tourists, selling online, and promoting on social media. Sales during the first four months of 2026 were up 20 percent compared to last year and 10 percent compared to five years ago.

But there’s more to the Ellicott City renaissance than retail. A new cultural hub, the Capitoline Center, opened in March in a former county circuit courthouse. It features the new headquarters of the Howard County Arts Council, a black box theater, rotating art exhibits, and the Asian American and Pacific Islander Cultural Center.

“It’s a draw for everyone to come to Ellicott City, so there’s more besides the shops and the restaurants,” says Lisa Scarbath, a resident artist at the Capitoline Center and a member-owner of the Artists Gallery on Main Street.

The center’s arts classes, from dance to figure drawing, can also draw more people downtown. There’s a push to bring more residents close to town, too. Just over the Baltimore County line in Oella, an eight-story, former flour mill constructed in 1916 is being adaptively reused into 190 luxury apartments. Expected to open by the end of September, the development will likely bring more residents within walking distance of Main Street later this year.

And all of this positive change and growth has led to a real air of hope in Ellicott City today—for the first time in a while.

“I hope in five years, the town is back to normal,” says Carney. “All the buildings have been renovated. The tunnel’s done. The flooding is in the distant past, and people don’t remember it. None of us want to talk about that anymore.  We’re all over the flood.”

But even if the town faces more setbacks, Ellicott City isn’t going anywhere, says Beideman.

“This is a very stubborn group of people. At the end of the day, the town is resilient.”