Tricia Markle, Manager of the 100K Market, was before Huntsville Council on March 27 to express her concern with the race route being proposed for Band on the Run this June. She said the route, which includes West Street South, is directly in conflict with the Saturday downtown market.
There are a limited number of market days in a year and one day does make a difference. The market has always supported any town event but we are also an event, perhaps not on such a grand scale as Band on the Run, but one that is popular throughout the season. We’d like council to take these facts into consideration and make a decision
Tricia Markle, Manager of 100K Market
Markle also said that asking the market to open after the race has gone by is not doable, as vendors need time to unload and set up.
Councillor Det Schumacher was quick off the mark to express his support for the market. “I, like Trish, would feel somewhat put upon if that was closed. It’s a seasonal thing. It has one opportunity during the summer to make something of itself downtown and I would hate to see that sort of dropped for one day of the season.”
Schumacher proposed that the whole Main Street be turned into a market. “Let the Band on the Run run on West Street and have your market just around the corner on Main Street. Close Main Street. It’s not a big move. It’ll bring people totally into town and I think it’s a win-win.”
But Markle pointed out that she had been told that Band on the Run requires upper Main Street as well. “Shame on them,” replied Schumacher.
“Um, hold on,” intervened Huntsville Mayor Scott Aitchison to chuckles from Schumacher who said that while he thinks Band on the Run is a great event, he wholly supports keeping the market open on that day. “Surely we can work something out,” said the Mayor.
Councillor Brian Thompson asked Markle if she had thought of any solutions herself. She said Main Street would be her preference. “We were asked last year when the slide came to town to go to Minerva Street. It was a financial loss. It was a total disaster, we got flooded out and there was not enough room for all the vendors on that street.” She said she’s been discussing places with Town staff, “and it’s pretty hard when you have 40 vendors to find spots for them.”
Aitchison noted that Band on the Run had to change their route due to construction work on Hwy. 60. “So this is not their preferred route either. I’m assuming it’ll go back to whatever it was before” he said. “It’s kind of a bump on the road.”
The mayor said it is a challenge but not an insurmountable one. “No one around this table would disagree that the market is a fabulous thing. We want to keep it going and it would be nice to actually have some permanent spot for you – we don’t have to worry about closing roads,” he said, adding that he would assist in trying to find a solution for everybody.
The proposed routes for Band on the Run are:
Proposed Band on the Run 5K route
Proposed Band on the Run 10K route
Proposed Band on the Run half-marathon route
Proposed Band on the Run kids route
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As an organizer of Band on the Run – I have written a response to this article that is published here: https://doppleronline.ca/huntsville/band-on-the-run-organizers-respond/
Justine
Daniel, the weekend in question is June 10 – which is not in my opinion even part of the “summer”. You also seem to be forgetting that in addition to the 2500 racers there will also be a lot of friends and family (spectators) who will be looking for things to do while they are standing around on race day (eg. shopping at the market and other local businesses). This is not like the Iron Man in that the participants are not typically hard core athletes, but people just out to have fun.
James, moving a run route for 2500 people is no easy task (there are many factors including emergency vehicle routes, etc.) and I know that Band on the Run this year has been forced to change their route already due to highway 60 construction.
This article is missing a lot of background information and I would not form any opinions based on it alone. Band on the Run brings in a significant amount of money to the town businesses over the weekend and it is a fantastic family friendly event. About 1000 of the runners are locals and the concert is also very well attended.
I work in the same space as the Band on the Run organizers and I overheard a very long phone conversation where Band on the Run was trying very hard to work out an amicable solution to the street conflict with Tricia (the manager of the market) prior to this town meeting.
I think Schumacher was trying to be funny when he said ‘Shame on them’ but he was clearly ignorant of the background facts surrounding this issue and shouldn’t have spoken before informing himself of the options and what has already been discussed.
What about using Huntsville Public School yard?
There are barely eight viable weeks in the summer… and in reality only about four or five make 80% of the seasons revenue. Market vendors aren’t there for fun, this is how many of us make our living. We pick and choose where we are going to be throughout the summer.. loosing a day is a huge loss of revenue for some of us not to mention a waste of time (no small thing when you are the producer as well as retailer). Relegating us to an out of the way spot is similar to asking any of the down town businesses to “take a day off”. A healthy market benefits the entire community. When market sales falter or sales take a multi season shortfall vendors will simply head else where. The 100k Market is one of the few that supports local artisans and producers. It’s only going to grow and has the potential to be a really special tradition for Huntsville. What a shame it would be to loose it.
It’s a running event… surely they do not need to run along all the prime routes that the market could occupy. Seems like a no brainer to me. Move the run route. DONE.
What about the market setting up in the ugly ex-Dominion parking lot, maybe spilling into Pharmasave for one day??