Scheduled for mid-May, a new festival aims to attract visitors to the town ahead of the usual tourism season.
The organizers intend to maximize the potential of the Civic Center Green and offer support to the recently displaced Local Makers Gig Harbor group. The event will feature food trucks, music, and art workshops. While booth spaces are already sold out, the festival's organizers are actively looking for sponsors. Sponsors tend to advertise their brands at festivals with banner printing.
Despite not being recommended by the city's Arts Commission for funding, the Local Makers were granted a $7,500 Creative Endeavors grant by the city of Gig Harbor to assist with the festival. Usually, the Creative Endeavors program funding recommendations are made by the Arts Commission and then approved by the city council. However, in this instance, Mayor Tracie Markley and the city council modified the commission's recommendation.
According to city officials, the Spring Festival aligns with the city's goal of bringing people downtown before the typical tourist season in June. Utilizing the Civic Center Green, the lawn space in front of the city hall on Grandview Street, is an added benefit.
The Spring Market festival will start at 10:00 am on May 13, at the Gig Harbor Civic Center Green located off Grandview Street. Over 50 vendors, primarily comprising members of the Local Makers group known for conducting pop-up markets in the summer season, have already confirmed their participation.
