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Local business owner pitches Friday night markets, movie nights and winter rink; commission offers coordination
Summary
Merchant Cara Hoagland told the commission she can recruit about 50 vendors for Friday night markets on the courthouse lawn, plus seasonal events and an ice rink; commissioners welcomed the proposals and asked her to coordinate dates and street-closure plans with police, fire and event staff.
During the public-comment portion of the July 8 meeting, Cara Hoagland, owner of Mercantile Coffee and Feed, outlined plans for a series of downtown events and asked the commission to help coordinate them.
Hoagland said Judge West supports moving Friday night markets to the courthouse lawn to allow more vendors and foot traffic. "I probably have a 50 vendors that want to get involved," she said, and described ideas that include food-truck nights, a fall family festival (framed as respectful of local traditions), a spooky-adult weekend with local wineries, and a proposed movie night on North First behind the courthouse. She also discussed plans to pursue fundraising and vendor partnerships to bring a seasonal ice-skating rink to downtown.
Commissioners and staff responded positively and asked Hoagland to coordinate with police and fire on street closures and public-safety plans. The mayor asked that she "coordinate with our PD and fire department" and staff said they would share information with Parks & Recreation and downtown development committees. Several commissioners offered to help publicize events through the city's social channels.
Additional community updates: staff reported progress on the community-center architectural work with a potential bid schedule in October; staff also said an Allstate release letter had been received related to a cemetery insurance claim and that the fair will have additional safety staffing and a new side-by-side vehicle in service.
Next steps: Hoagland and staff will coordinate dates, street-closure plans and safety staffing and return with details to the commission as needed.
