CANCELLED – Fall for Clinton market set for Oct. 10
UPDATED 10/9/2020 – FALL FOR CLINTON MARKET HAS BEEN CANCELLED.
By Sherry Lucas
The Fall for Clinton Olde Towne Market brings a welcome return of autumn engagement to the town’s center on October 10, along with precautions and best practices so vendors and shoppers can proceed safely during this COVID-19 pandemic.
The market, set for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Clinton’s brick streets downtown, marks its thirteenth year of fall fun, organized by Main Street Clinton. In normal years, the market boasts eighty-five to one hundred vendors and draws as many as 2,500 to 3,000 shoppers over the course of four hours.
This year, that vendor count is expected to be about fifty, and booths will be situated to safely maintain the physical distancing recommended in health guidelines for the pandemic. Also, vendors and shoppers will be required to wear masks.
Other adjustments have been made to control gatherings onsite.
“Although we feel like we can safely hold the shopping part of the event, we have decided to cancel the pet parade this year,” said Tara Lytal, Main Street Clinton director. “And we will not have any food trucks. We don’t want to encourage onsite dining.”
Still, shoppers will find many returning vendors from previous years, as well as a few new ones, said Lindsay Letson, Main Street Clinton assistant events coordinator. Homemade soaps, hand-thrown pottery and ceramics, wooden toys, artwork such as drawings and paintings, embroidery, handmade jewelry, woodworks, candles, jams, baked goods and homegrown fruits and vegetables are among the enticements expected at the fall market. All products are handcrafted, handmade or hand-raised.
“The event is less of a social gathering and more of a shopping experience, yet it does allow people to get outdoors and safely do something,” Lytal said. “It will require some caution on the part of the attendees. We are asking that vendors and visitors wear masks and that they respect social distancing.” Plans are proceeding, but Main Street Clinton is also prepared to cancel should it become necessary.
Many vendors at the market rely on supplemental income from craft sales throughout the state for a portion of their livelihood. Downtown Clinton retailers and restaurants have come to count on the market for a boost of revenue and much-needed exposure to new customers, Lytal said.
“The markets are one tool that we use to bring people downtown and help establish Olde Towne as the heart of our community.”
The market’s open-air nature makes it inherently safer than the confines of an indoor event. Plus, there’s room for distance between vendors, as well as space for shoppers to spread out.
Expectations are in place to offer a safe shopping opportunity, provide vendors the chance to generate much-needed sales and give local businesses a shot at capturing sales, too, Lytal said.
