Before the market opens

By half past six, the covered market was already awake. Stallholders moved through the narrow aisles, carrying crates that knocked against their knees. The air smelled sharply of cut herbs and damp cardboard. At the far end, one trader arranged a neat row of jars while another wrestled with a canvas awning that kept slipping from its hooks. I stood by the entrance, trying not to obstruct the steady stream of people bringing in their stock.

From the passage, select two words or phrases that describe the market before it opens.