Friday downtown market proposed

VERNON – The Downtown Vernon Association wants to hold a market each Friday during the summer and are looking for city council's permission.

The DVA applied to close 30 Avenue Fridays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. to hold a farmer's market. The road would be closed on the west and east side of 32 Street on alternating Fridays from May 2 to Sept. 26.

Executive director Lara Konkin told city council 76 per cent of the merchants on 30 Avenue are in favour of the market featuring live music, artists and vendors along with local farmers selling their produce.

The DVA plans to charge a $200 vendor permit fee and use that money for marketing and promotion.

When asked by Coun. Juliette Cunningham if a new market would negatively affect the other farmer's markets in the city, Konklin said 80 per cent of the vendors at the current Friday market in the north parking lot at the Village Green Mall would prefer to be downtown.

The farmer's market in the Kal Tire Place parking lot runs Monday and Thursday mornings with many of the vendors expressing an interest in setting up at the Friday downtown market as well.

The DVA is hoping to get the city's blessing by the first week in April so they can launch the downtown Friday markets this May.

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