by Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative
A busy downtown, live music, vendors galore, many shoppers in the main street stores.
The first of three scheduled Essex Centre StreetFests did exactly what it was intended to do on Saturday; put the spotlight on the downtown core.
It has been a tough couple of years for the businesses located in Essex Centre’s downtown core.
First, they endured the pandemic restrictions, then had to wade through construction the Town implemented as part of the streetscape last year. Now, many families are experiencing economic hardships, all of which has made operating a business a bit tough at times.
The downtown looks beautiful, but business has been slow to pick back up.
Kaitlyn Nussio, Owner of Rock-A-Bye Baby, noted she and Krista Sweet of FATE and Ashley Colarossi or HV&CO were eager to develop a way to attract people to the downtown to not only show off Essex Centre’s new, fresh look, but to get people into the stores that call the area home.
“It’s a beautiful downtown. We wanted to show it off,” Nussio said.
After lots of planning, the trio hosted the first of three monthly Essex StreetFest events planned through to October.
Saturday’s event closed downtown Talbot Street to vehicular traffic and welcomed vendor tents to set up along the roadway, offered Essex businesses a chance to host sidewalk sales or find a unique way to connect with potential clients, and gave residents and visitors a unique shopping experience.
All of this was available while getting a chance to enjoy street entertainment, live music, and even a chance to visit a food truck along the way.
The opportunity also allowed the community to show support to not only the local businesses but to area artisans, who were able to pop-up the vendor tents, as well.
As members of the Essex Centre BIA, the trio did approach the local Business Improvement Association about support for the event, and was able to form a committee and was provided some funding to help spearhead the Essex Centre StreetFest. The Town of Essex also provided guidance through the organizational portion and in-kind help the day of, which Nussio said they were thankful for.
They were also grateful to all the volunteers who offered to help out, each contributing to the event’s success.
Nussio was happy to see a street fest series get started in Essex, noting most other local communities have something similar to draw in shoppers to their downtown areas.
“I thought it was great,” she said, noting the organizers will now take the opportunity to sit down and look at any possible tweaks that need to be made. They plan to issue a survey to the vendors and other participants, for instance, to gauge what went well.
If the outcome from the inaugural event is any indicator, the follow-up events on September 14 and October 12 will be surefire ways to support those local businesses.
Looking into 2025, Nussio hopes the Essex Centre StreetFests continue, starting earlier in the year, perhaps in May or June.