Open the door to Garner Marketplace in the Garner Plaza and you will immediately be greeted by Paula Manning. With her bright smile and warm attitude, you’d never guess the weather outside is near freezing.

The self-proclaimed public speaker for Garner Marketplace, Manning advertises for everyone in Garner’s only indoor flea market that opened nearly a month ago.

“I’m a little Walmart,” Manning said. “If I don’t have it, someone else in here does.”

Garner Marketplace owner Clark Womack is a commercial real estate broker, whose company rents out spaces in the Garner Plaza. He had heard from many people that they didn’t have the money to pay for overhead in order to have their own store.

Womack said the space was a thrift store already and with 11,000 square feet it was too big for one shop. Womack decided to use the space as an indoor flea market, marking off spaces on the floor.

“That works in Cary,” he said. “It works at the fairgrounds.”

The response is growing and Womack’s renters are seeing more business each day.

“I’ve been very pleased with how much traffic I’ve gotten,” he said.

Units run from 7x8 to 15x15 and spaces can be combined as well. Prices for renters run from $225 per month for the smallest booth space to $20 per day or $50 for Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the back of the marketplace.

Womack’s 20 tenants bring a tremendous amount of character to the space, offering customers a wide range of items for sale from unique gifts and artwork to appliances to clothing.

Nine-year-old Hannah Kennovin has Jersey Girl Candles, a third grade economics project at Timber Drive Elementary School that she turned into an after school business because friends and family wanted to buy candles. The fourth grader gives up her weekends to sell candles at her booth. During the week, her family takes turns helping out, including her grandmother, Terry Knnovin, visiting from New Jersey.

Charlene Bowens has Rellyfe Designs, a dream come true for the budding fashion designer. She caters to women of all sizes, from 00 to 26+. After she was laid off from her job at Dorthea Dix, Bowens was happy to find a location where she could launch her first business.

“I want to cater to all women because all women want to look good,” Bowens said.

The Garner Marketplace will help the local economy, Bowens said, because everyone is pinching pennies.

“I think it’s going to build a community of coming together,” she said.

The Garner Marketplace is open Wednesdays through Sundays.