The Washington Harbor District Alliance is preparing for its first-ever Marine Market on the city’s waterfront April 30 and May 1.

The Marine Market is set to run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 30 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 1 on Stewart Parkway.

From new and used boats to fishing hooks, the Marine Market offers a wide variety of nautical items and services. Marine-related vendors, a boot-sale flea market and nautical artwork will be part of the Marine Market. For those who get hungry at the Marine Market, seafood and landlubber grub will be available, according to a WHDA news release.

Expect roving pirates and perhaps a visit by George and Martha Washington (OK, not the originals but more-than-adequate facsimiles) during the festival.

Seminars, demonstrations and vessel inspections will be provided by the Pamlico Sail and Power Squadron.

At the North Carolina Estuarium on April 30, free pontoon-boat rides are scheduled. The Estuarium also hosts Crazy Crab Crafts from 10:30 a.m. until noon that day, along with face-painting and pirate stories for children.

For someone interested in selling items at the nautical flea market, paying a $10 preregistration fee gets that person a parking space to sell excess nautical items and fishing gear. Obtaining a space the day of the event will cost $20.

At the used-boat corral, where a space costs $35, a person may sell a boat, dinghy, canoe, kayak or any kind of personal watercraft.

Larger, in-water vessels will be sold at Dock B on the Washington waterfront.

Among the more than 25 marine- and nautical-related vendors scheduled for the Marine Market are Park Boat Company, Greenville Marine, Inner Banks Outfitters, West Marine, Carolina Wind Yachting Center.

At the Marine Market, several nonprofit groups will have a presence.

The Safe Launch Kayak Initiative will sponsor the Iron Paddle 200/Kayak Sprint on May 1. Blackbeard’s Adventure Alliance will sell tickets for its Pirate Parley in May. The Washington Area Historic Foundation will sell tickets for its upcoming homes tour.

Beth Byrd, WHDA director, believes the Marine Market will prove popular with the public and vendors.

“If we get as many people who have shown interest, it will be a hit,” Byrd said during an interview in February.

Byrd said then the Marine Market will show people how strong the marine industry is in and around Washington.

Some lucky visitors to the Marine Market will leave with raffle prizes.

Inner Banks Outfitters is donating a Emotion Traverse paddleboard for the raffle. Washington Jewelers is donating Guy Harvey jewelry. NautiLife is donating a handpainted crab-and-shrimp platter. Raffle tickets will be sold during both days of the Marine Market, with the drawings held at 3:30 p.m. May 1.

A raffle ticket costs $5, with a maximum of 500 tickets to be sold. All proceeds from the raffle-ticket sales go to WHDA.

Vendor spaces are available, but going fast, according to Byrd.

For vendor and flea-market applications and rules, visit www.whda.org. For more information about the Marine Market, call 252-946-3969.