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Committee plans expanded Kris Kringle Market; ordinance change needed for longer hours
Summary
Committee members said they will keep the Kris Kringle Market largely the same as last year but seek a town-ordinance modification to allow a six-hour event window, tentatively 9 a.m.–2 p.m., and to present the change to the council in coming meetings.
Committee members told the Saint John Economic Development Committee on June 11 that the Kris Kringle Market will follow last year's format with plans to expand vendor capacity and run for approximately six hours, but that a modification to the town ordinance will be required before the change can be finalized.
Committee members said vendor interest is already high and that the farmers market has attracted new vendors because of the Kris Kringle Market. The committee agreed to prepare an ordinance amendment and present it to the town council in the next month or two so the market can run longer than it did the prior year.
"We went over the details. Everybody was happy with the way things went, no real major changes, just making it bigger and better this year," a committee member said, summarizing prior feedback. Members discussed limiting the event to about six hours because of winter conditions and vendor setup times; a commonly cited schedule was 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., though an option of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. was discussed and rejected due to early darkness.
The committee directed staff to draft the ordinance modification to authorize the extended hours and return to the committee for approval before sending the amendment to the council. No formal vote was taken on the ordinance itself at the June 11 meeting.
Members also noted operational matters for future meetings, including budgets, vendor applications and timeline: vendors have already asked when applications will open, and the committee intends to release applications earlier in the fall to allow vendors sufficient time to prepare.
The committee did not specify a final budget or provide an ordinance number; staff said they will prepare the necessary amendments and include the item on a future council agenda.
