Organizer says Car Free YYJ crowds equal to last year
Wet weather failed to deter Victorians from turning out on Sunday for Car Free YYJ, the biggest street fair of the year.
Organizer Nick Blasko of Atomic Productions is estimating that close to 30,000 people — the same as in sunny 2016 — filled Douglas Street, despite the light drizzle. Nine blocks of Douglas were closed to motor traffic for the event.
“I just want to give a big thank you to all the people who looked outside and saw it was a little bit rainy, but said: ‘We’re going,’ ” said Blasko, adding the weather did have one effect: Consumption was down in the beer gardens.
The number of families taking part convinced him that even more kid-oriented venues would be a good thing next year. “We’ll debrief next week and then we’ll likely start taken applications in early 2018,” he said.
The event cost about $100,000 to produce, from infrastructure to entertainment.
Just over 400 vendors lined the route between Chatham/Caledonia and Courtney streets for Car Free YYJ, presented by the Downtown Victoria Business Association in partnership with the City of Victoria and B.C. Transit.
With the drizzly weather at the start of the event, lines were short at snow cone, ice cream and lemonade stands, and the licensed venues were slow to fill.
Jared Nyberg, co-owner of Jagasilk, which was offering cold tea and kombucha drinks at its stand at the south end of the street, said he was a little worried about the weather’s impact on business, but still deemed the festival a success. “We look at it like, whether or not we do well, it’s something we want to support — what an awesome concept,” he said. “This is part of communitybuilding and we love the concept of a car-free day.”
As the morning matured into midday, the rest of the city seemed to share that sentiment.
There were soon thousands of families with strollers, puppies in tow or in arms, and plenty of bubbles being blown by kids with new bubble guns they’d just acquired.
“I’m here because my husband works on Father’s Day,” quipped Julie Jones, who was pushing her two-year-old son Ben in a stroller. “This is a great thing to do. It keeps [Ben] occupied. After all, you’re not really going to the park on a day like this, so this gets us out of the house.”
Tucked amid the crafts sellers, artisans, retailers who had moved outdoors for the day and food trucks there were organizations trying to use the venue to increase awareness of various causes.
They included This is Leadership, a local group that helps pool resources for those making a difference in the community, while showcasing those who have committed to improving the quality of life for everyone.
One of its featured partners, speech-language pathologist Marlene Lewis, said she is part of a group that recently bought a 69-acre farm where they plan to plant fast-growing trees that can be harvested within 10 years and used for decorative trim and building things like guitars and surfboards.
The event ran 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the street was reopened to traffic by 7:25, about 45 minutes ahead of schedule, Blasko said Monday.