NANAIMO DOWNTOWN FRIDAY EVENING MARKET
DIANA KRALL PLAZA
DIANA KRALL PLAZA
SET TO BEGIN IN MAY 2014
The Downtown Nanaimo Business Improvement Association (DNBIA) is excited to announce that there is a brand new Farmer’s Market coming to downtown Nanaimo this spring. Beginning May 2nd, Diana Krall Plaza will be home to the Downtown Nanaimo Friday Evening Market and will run until the last Friday in September.
The DNBIA has chosen Dale Letourneau, owner of Chameleon Marketing and Events as the contractor who will establish an evening Farmer’s Market in Diana Krall Plaza. Letourneau has successfully managed the Duncan Farmer’s Market for four years, a market which was recently nominated for Market of the Year through the BC Association of Farmer’s Markets. When asked about her vision she responded "Diana Krall Plaza has been poised to be a destination location for residents and tourists alike, and we are so happy to be part of making that happen with our Market debut on May 2nd."
The Downtown Evening Market will run for a period of 22 weeks ending on September 26th and will focus on those who "Make It, Bake It, Grow It, Raise It or Catch It". There will be live entertainment each week with public seating available. "People don’t need to go home when the market closes" said Letourneau, "they will already be here and parking is free on Friday evenings after five, so why not stay and take advantage of all that downtown Nanaimo has to offer?"
The Evening Market came as a result of a DNBIA Events Committee initiative that will see the Farmer’s Market receive seed funding for a period of three years in order to firmly establish a successful evening market in the downtown core. The Evening Market will run from 4pm to 8pm providing optimal opportunity for existing vendors from the established Friday day market in Pioneer Plaza to extend their market hours by bringing their wares to Diana Krall Plaza when the day market closes at 2pm. The timing of the market means workers and visitors alike can listen to great music, while sampling and enjoying locally made food and picking up fresh eggs and double smoked bacon for their Saturday morning breakfast.
Dale Letourneau is currently developing a vendor list for Diana Krall Plaza which can easily accommodate over 100 vendors. The product and work of all vendors must go through an adjudication process in order to ensure that the high standards of the market will be met. The first market evening, May 2nd, will be free for vendors. Expressions of interest can be directed to nanaimoeveningmarket@shaw.ca
I find it troubling and mind-blowing that the DNBIA - with a budget of half-a-million dollars snatched from all Nanaimo taxpayers and property owners and a paid staff of 4 or 5 - CANNOT organize this event and must shell out our tax money to a private contractor to put on the market.
ReplyDeleteLooks like the BIA is taking advice from the NEDC - who contracts out any study they can throw up.
+1
DeleteIs it just me, or everything good for the economy that comes, there is always a choir that shouts negative nellies?! Its never good enough!
ReplyDeleteTo the Anonymous of 28 March:
ReplyDeleteMaybe those who are always at the trough, using copious amounts of of public money, not their own, need to be brought to a stop for the GOOD OF EVERYONE'S ECONOMY! Get out of the trough!
I think the market in the evening is a fine thing but I do also wonder about hiring an outside source. I also wonder if this will be a detriment to the Friday daytime market in Pioneer Plaza. Why not give the money to a group like that to expand their market rather than creating a new tax payer funded market that will compete with it.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes it will compete for the same spending dollars even though it is not at the same time slot. I may come to the evening market instead of coming to the day market.
Perhaps that money should be funneled into creating a permanent all year long farmers market like the one Island Roots is trying to get off the ground with no real help from our tax dollars.
Just a thought.
Look forward to it. Nanaimo is in need of events that everyone can access. Never mind the public purse complaints either. I never use the sports facilities and I believe a large percentage of our public purse goes to maintaining and managing those facilities while only a few can afford to use them.
ReplyDeleteI think the DNBIA has made the right choice here in contracting out this opportunity. It doesn't make sense for them to RUN this on taxpayer funds year after year. This farmers market will be a revenue generating business, and it makes sense for an independent organization to benefit from and manage that. The DNBIA is only providing seed money to a QUALIFIED organizer. Makes sense to me and it will make the downtown much richer and brighter because of it.
ReplyDeleteHahahaha. The BIA IS RUNNING THIS on taxpayer funds! Get your head out of the sand - or should I say trough.
DeleteAll in favour of the market - and why not lean on the expertise of a proven winner, especially in year one? Let's make it a success, with new ideas. I do enjoy the Friday afternoon market, but we will be needing new vendors for Friday nights, it can't be more of the same. Good for DNBIA for giving us something to bring people out on a Friday evening.
ReplyDeleteIt's about time the DNBIA did something at this unsightly spot.
DeleteParks and Rec handed this site over to the downtown group to spring to life years ago but nothing has been done until now.
Wish them luck with the taxes they're funneling into it! Let's not have the $$$ go to waste.
About time the d.n.b.i.a. did something
ReplyDeletePerhaps if this is a success, we could expand the night market Thursday to Sunday evenings like the Richmond night market. If it becomes evident that more than 100 stalls will be needed, then I suggest that we close down Commercial street to traffic and put stall there as well. We want this to be a destination of a variety of stalls like the Richmond night market or the old Cassidy swap meet. More variety will draw more people to the market.
ReplyDelete