Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Farmers Market topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Stone Harbor Farmer's Market reports strong summer; manager urges safety fixes and schedule tweak
Summary
Farmer's Market Manager Will Boyer told the council the market matched last year’s attendance, with some vendors reporting up to 30% sales increases; he asked council to address pedestrians walking through the market before vendor set-up and agreed to meet with Tourism & Recreation to plan next year.
Will Boyer, Stone Harbor’s Farmer’s Market manager, told the Borough Council on Sept. 2 that attendance this summer matched last year and that some vendors posted as much as a 30% increase in sales. "Some vendors have even reached a 30% increase over last year's numbers," Boyer said, and he credited successful mid-week pop-ups for boosting traffic.
Boyer said one safety concern is pedestrians walking through vendor areas before booths are set up. "The pedestrians walking through the market prior to set-up … poses a serious safety hazard and should be addressed," he said. Councilmember Victor Foschini suggested holding the mid-week events every other Wednesday next year; Boyer agreed and said many vendors are eager to return.
Councilmember Jennifer Gensemer and others noted outreach to downtown businesses. Boyer said he has contacted local merchants, who reported more foot traffic during market hours. Councilmember Ken Biddick proposed coordinating proposed market changes with the Chamber of Commerce and adding an A-frame sign listing local businesses to help direct marketgoers downtown.
The council asked Boyer to attend a future Tourism & Recreation Committee meeting to develop next year’s schedule and safety measures. The discussion did not produce a formal vote or ordinance; next steps are committee-level planning and any follow-up on safety controls before next season.
