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Providence Open Market


Cotuit

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Went to the Open Market with my wife (and thanks to Ari we ended up in a couple pics :shades: ) and thought for the very first day it was very much a success.

I enjoyed talking with the vendors (they should really make an effort to engage the public, I think it really helps sales) and bought a couple things. I loved seeing people walking up and down Westminster on a Saturday afternoon. I really think the Open Market could be a critical bridge to getting people used to the Downcity area and cause them to come back more often, and not just for Open Market. Now, maybe, when someone is going to PPAC for a show they won't mind getting into town a bit early and taking a stroll around.

I also got a chance to check out the new liquor store (Eno?) and loved it! Great set-up (i.e. using the old employee cubby hole mail boxes as wine holders) and thought they had a really creative selection of wine and especially beer.

As far as the food goes I agree that a wider variety would be helpful. I was hoping to grab lunch while I was there. I think the hot dog vendor from Chez Pascal needs to add a cart for the Open Market! They would make a killing.

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I must add that I also felt the first day of the market was a smashing succes. The only reason I brought up the food (I was thinking farmers, but a few simple "treats" can go a long way) is because I believe it will help make sure people come back regularly. Having some easy eats is simply a lure so people keep coming to support those local artists.

I left on Saturday saying that someone did a hell of a job marketing that thing, and I'm guessing that is you "marketmanager." So nice work.

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I must add that I also felt the first day of the market was a smashing succes. The only reason I brought up the food (I was thinking farmers, but a few simple "treats" can go a long way) is because I believe it will help make sure people come back regularly. Having some easy eats is simply a lure so people keep coming to support those local artists.

I left on Saturday saying that someone did a hell of a job marketing that thing, and I'm guessing that is you "marketmanager." So nice work.

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We were at the market on Saturday with the kiddos, and I have to second the comment about the rocks being really hard on the strollers. Don't know what can be done about that, since I don't think paving it would be a great solution (can the lot be sodded before next Saturday???) :P I think we'll bring the baby backpack next time.

My husband commented that what the market seemed to lack was a reason to come back every week. Yes, the vendors will change, but there are only so many bags, necklaces, cool pieces of art you can buy in a summer. I love love love to look at the stuff, but I certainly won't (and can't) buy something every week. Now, if lunch was an option, or farm stands...well, that I can buy every week and peruse the art in the meantime. I know the farmers will come...but it would also be cool to have more seedlings and plants now.

Also, kudos for having the juggler and balloon guy. The kids loved it and we appreciated being able to sit and watch for a bit. More street performers can only make it better. My 5 year old requests a stilt walker. :)

As for parking...normally we would just walk down, but we had driven someplace else Saturday morning, so drove into downtown since we were already in the car. We did have to drive around a bit to find a spot, but I think it rated as an average downtown parking hunt.

We had fun, and I'm so glad it's happening. It was really cool to see the other shops on Westminster open with wares out on the sidewalk. I just think if it evolves into more of a "scene" - someplace to get an iced coffee and pastry or snack and wander around, or sit for a while and meet up with people, it will be a huge success. (BTW, this is all said fully realizing that this was the first day.)

K.

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This week we will be making arrangements for getting Dells, Ice Cream and Dough Boys down. Now... if it doesn't happen immediately, please be patient and know that this is work in progress.
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My husband commented that what the market seemed to lack was a reason to come back every week. Yes, the vendors will change, but there are only so many bags, necklaces, cool pieces of art you can buy in a summer. I love love love to look at the stuff, but I certainly won't (and can't) buy something every week. Now, if lunch was an option, or farm stands...well, that I can buy every week and peruse the art in the meantime.
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holy posting cotuit!

you speak for me when you say it was a success and enjoyable. and yes, most of this criticism is constructive, aimed at helping the open market succeed and bring people back week after week. i felt like it was craftland outside. something i went to twice all winter. once to browse, the second time to buy something after coming up with no good ideas. if the open market had good food options (i like the ones cotuit mentioned, especially the creperie), i'd be there every saturday, unless i was out of town.

i'm not sure on closing westminster, but closing union would be a big help. there's a lot more room there for street performers than in the bocce court and that'd be a great place to setup food tents on nice solid ground.

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I might as well keep going.

Of course, I'm all about signs, signs everywhere for everything, big bright beautiful signs.

If it can be done, I think a big banner saying "Providence Open Market" on the Weybosset end of the lot would be helpful. People are dumb, they'll drive by, see tents, say, "I wonder what that is?" and keep driving. And you can't really blame them, to park, walk and find that it is a private event, or something you aren't interested in, would be annoying. People driving by on Westminster should be able to see what's going on or lean out the window and ask someone, so there doesn't really need to be a banner there.

More needed is sandwich board type signs strategically placed throughout the city. There are people who live in Rhode Island that don't even know there's a mall in Providence let alone any reason to go down Westminster. Colorful signs with info about the Market, dates and times, and a map to the location placed on Dorrance, Empire, and Washington would be a good idea. Also the triangle at Fountain and Dorrance would be a good place for one, people coming out of the mall might see it. A banner (maybe the one that is placed on Weybosset on Market days) could be hung over Westminster at Dorrance on Fridays to remind office workers to come back to the city on Saturday.

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Thanks ARI for your last post. Great photos. But on the last one in the set, it almost looks like you were on some kind of apparattus attached to the Alice Building in order to take that photo. But I'm guessing that you were somehow lodged in the Peerless Building to take that photo. Or are you superman!?
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Some suggestions:
  • Does anyone know if the Taco Truck still exists, if it does, it should definately be there.

  • La Creperie on Fones Alley off Thayer Street (401.751.5536) has a set up that they bring to street fairs, it's usually at the RISD Art Sales.

  • Someone has a sushi cart that I've seen at RISD events, that'd be good.

  • Fellini's on Wickenden Street has excellent whole wheat crust pizza, they have a set up they bring to Pride and I've seen them at RISD events.

Who else? What am I forgetting?

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If this doesn't happen right away I will be so angry! :angry::P:lol:

Please understand, we are all very eager to see Downcity succeed, any criticism should be seen as constructive. I'm sure (I think) I can speak for everyone and say the first day was great. So when we all log on next week to offer suggestions and critiques on week 2, know that we like it, but we want to help it be as good as it can be.

Some suggestions:

  • Does anyone know if the Taco Truck still exists, if it does, it should definately be there.

  • La Creperie on Fones Alley off Thayer Street (401.751.5536) has a set up that they bring to street fairs, it's usually at the RISD Art Sales.

  • Someone has a sushi cart that I've seen at RISD events, that'd be good.

  • Fellini's on Wickenden Street has excellent whole wheat crust pizza, they have a set up they bring to Pride and I've seen them at RISD events.

Who else? What am I forgetting?

I wouldn't advocate closing it unless some very intensive usage was programmed on it, I wouldn't want to see it closed just for the sake of closing it. And Hotel Providence would probably have a cow if it was closed anywhere past Mathewson.

They'd probably have a cow if any of it was closed actually.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Has anyone been to the Open Market the last couple of weeks. I went the first weekend it opened and we had a flurry of comments and concerns with the organizer on this board. How has turn out been, both by the vendors and customers? Any new food vendors?

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Has anyone been to the Open Market the last couple of weeks. I went the first weekend it opened and we had a flurry of comments and concerns with the organizer on this board. How has turn out been, both by the vendors and customers? Any new food vendors?
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I went on the 26th at areound 2. It wasn't as busy as it was the first weekend, and the weather was a little worse, so I wasn't that suprised at the lower number of people. Someone was selling grilled sausage; someone else was selling chocolate-covered bananas. I think I saw a Del's cart, too.

The only thing I bought was a cool photograph of the inside of a library. It was the last one the vendor had, so clearly the other nerds had been to the market before I got there.

They had also put down some artificial grass (like at mini golf), which made walking around easier and cut down on the dust.

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