“How many falafels do we need?” Lisa Markuson asked a line of shoppers waiting for a snack at the Sababa falafel stand in Eastern Market. “It’s going to be coming up so soon,” she told the crowd. “Fresh, glowing, golden and piping-hot.” Markuson has worked at the Sababa falafel stand at Eastern Market near Capitol Hill since January. Sababa, which is Israeli slang for “awesome,” is one of hundreds of stands lining the streets.

The market, which runs Tuesday to Sunday year-round, is always full with a mix of vendors. Produce and flowers sit across from paintings, hand-made clothes and decorative frames for light switches.