Christine Whelan FEO, June 23, 2022, VOL. 3 ISSUE 22
After two summers off, the vendors, entertainment, sponsors and volunteers are eager to get back to the Thursday evening routine of bringing the community together again in one of the most relaxing and appealing locations locally that Mother Nature has to offer, the waterfront.
Starting June 30th, 4:00-8:00pm, and continuing weekly throughout the summer, until September 1st, a free shuttle will take you to Waterfront Park and free entry to over 12 food trucks, live music, old friends and potential friends.
The coordinators are very excited, but they admit, it’s been a challenging road.
Kirk Fretz, Chair of the Crystal Beach Business Improvement Area (BIA) and proprietor of Fretz Heating and Air Conditioning in Crystal Beach has family roots in the area that stretches back generations.
Kirk sees this year’s market as a welcome to the community to those who have moved recently to the local area, waiting for the pandemic to pass, to see what Crystal Beach, or simply referred to by many as the Beach, is all about. He calls it a ‘meet and greet’.
Melissa Dubois, from Welland, moved to Crystal Beach five years ago. Her husband’s family has local roots. The behavioural therapist left her job during the pandemic to open her business on Derby Road, The Beach Market.
Melissa explained how she got involved with the market. “I attended some of the BIA meetings. I got involved because I really wanted to preserve the supper market for what it is.” This included the decision to keep the location at the waterfront.
The Beginning of the Market
Kirk shared the highlights contributing to the beginning of the market. “I was doing a lot of contracting work in Niagara-on-the-Lake. One of my colleagues there invited me to go out, on a Wednesday evening, to the market they had. I noticed it was a real community-oriented event with a lot of the local people there. They were meeting and greeting the new people who were coming into the community.”
Fretz brought the idea back to the Crystal Beach BIA. They liked the idea.
“I then drafted up a letter of intent,” he continued. “My daughter, Brittany, and I went back to the market in Niagara-on-the-Lake and handed out this letter of intent to the vendors there. We were seeing if we could stimulate some positive response and input because, without vendors, we were dead in the water.” As anticipated, the responses were good.
When considering what day of the week, Kirk shared, “We didn’t want a conflict on Wednesday evening with Niagara-on-the-Lake. And we didn’t want a conflict with our local restaurants and local businesses on a Friday evening. So, we presented it for a Thursday. The Board agreed.”
He added, “Another reason we decided on a Thursday evening is that it draws people into their recreational properties one day earlier in the week. This way the business core in general benefits.”
Kirk’s daughter, Brittany Fretz, became the Supper Market Manager. “We worked side by side to get it going, working the grounds and meeting the vendors.”
They kept the cost down for our vendors to test the waters until they could prove the market was a success.
“We saw the market evolve, dramatically,” Fretz remarked.
The Supper Market: A Collaboration of Community
It’s important for the vendors, according to Kirk and Melissa, that they don’t have any competition. It’s important that there is variety. Every truck brings something different to the event.
Fretz stated, “As the success grew in the supper market, we were very conscious of the fact that we were not looking for one big vendor to walk in there, because if you get one big vendor in there you can crush all your smaller vendors. And that market that we present could be gone. This is one of the things that Brittany, Melissa and myself are very conscious of that this doesn’t happen.”
Melissa added, “And the food truck community, especially in Niagara, have their own family dynamic. They’re so supportive of one another. So, it’s nice to bring that here because it’s what we encompass.”
They really weigh in on their vendors when it comes to feedback. “We listen to our vendors and we listen to the public.”
Another adjustment to the market’s success was incorporating a shuttle. Kirk shared, “We’ve already got a location where we can pick up and drop off, in the lot on Erie Road.” Regional Limo will be providing the shuttle service.
The Biggest Challenge, The Biggest Change
There’ve been growing pains. And there’ve been hurdles.
All the BIA’s in the Greater Fort Erie area have been brought to a bit of a task, according to Fretz.
He explained, “The BIA’s are basically operating within the foundations of the Town of Fort Erie. We have a Councillor who sits on each Board. The Mayor sits on our Board.
“Our applications for these markets go in January and February. A week prior to March 28th, the Town got back to us to tell us, that there are no licensed events allowed in any municipal properties in the town whatsoever. The Mayor immediately put this on the Council Meeting agenda for March 28th.”
Kirk added, “This would affect all events in the town.”
The Spring Splash was planned for the May 24th weekend. “I didn’t hear anything until April 28th.” Fretz said, “Do the math. That gave us a little over two and a half weeks. I was told, we don’t have insurance. The Town has changed insurance providers. We lost the Spring Splash.
They brainstormed and worked through different possible options, staying focused on the goal of keeping this event community-oriented, before finding the solution. “We reached out to people we knew to provide service, basically catering alcohol, the boys at Johnny Rocco’s out of St. Catharines. They jumped on the wagon and said they’d make it happen.
“So, when we told the Town we were going to put our insurance under their rider, we were good to go.”
“With Johnny Rocco’s on board comes the possibility of having Molson products at the supper market. Molson supports Johnny Rocco’s so we are anticipating the support of Molson products,” Fretz shared. “This is the biggest change to the supper market this year.”
Giving Thanks
“Location is everything. Then next is our vendors and then the community. We couldn’t do it without them,” Fretz stated gratefully. “Thursday nights. You’re starting your weekend off early and you’re having fun. And you’re getting your fun for a really good value. We couldn’t do that without our corporate sponsors.”
He continued, “One of the big corporate sponsors that helped us get this event off the ground and I can’t say thank you enough, is the Meridian, both Stevensville and Fort Erie branches. Since then, Melissa’s reached out and there are more corporate sponsors that are really anxious to be involved.” He talked about the marketing options they have available.
It’s All About The Presentation
Kirk and Melissa talked about the possibilities of the bands that will be playing. There has been a shift in the vendors and musicians who were a part of the supper market in the past. Some are new applicants. Some are not returning. Out of all the businesses that participated in the supper market in the past, at least four have had to shut down, in part due to the stresses of the last two years.
The Crystal Beach BIA fundraised for picnic tables for the market and Kirk with his staff built some tables. “Then we acknowledged, that we needed more. So, we built more. We’re now at 39 tables. When COVID hit, we moved the tables out of the park and placed them throughout the Beach to make it look welcoming. Then some of the restaurants grabbed some of the tables for their outdoor areas.
“There are some municipally-owned tables out at the waterfront now and we will put 24 of our own out there, but not until right before the event. Grass-cutting is pretty intense in the spring.” The remaining 15 tables are still spread out locally.
Kirk said, “We encourage people to bring their own chairs. We find that a lot of people who frequent the supper market bring their own chairs.”
“Some bring umbrellas to shelter from the sun.” Melissa added, “The waterfront. That’s what people come for. It’s where people want to be when they’re not in the city, not with the hustle and bustle. That’s why the shuttle is so important. We won’t have the busy parking lot.
“It’s a day in the park. A warm, welcoming community event. Relaxed. Not competitive. Not flashy.”
Kirk added, “It’s about presentation. You make people feel they are your guests.”
He admitted, “This is my last year. This is why we have Melissa on board, as our manager.”
He is focusing on the days when he steps down, creating a plan that he hopes will help the supper market continue afterwards. “I’m here now to support Melissa and to help her make this thing pull through.”
Melissa followed with, “I’m looking forward to bringing our community together with good food and good music.”
You can follow the market activity on Facebook by searching the Crystal Beach Waterfront Supper Market Page. To get involved, you can contact Melissa at info@thebeachmarket.ca
Photo provided by the Crystal Beach Waterfront Supper Market Facebook Page
