DRYDEN – Thursdays are the day to celebrate summer and local business in the city, with the Dryden Days of Summer taking place in the downtown core each week.
Between 3 and 6 p.m., King St. closes to traffic and fills with both vendors and people promoting events along with kid’s games and chalk drawing.
After 6, the group moves over to Earl’s Court to enjoy food vendors and live music with a different artist each week.
“It’s been really fun to see people coming out and supporting small businesses and local businesses from around town,” said Brian Callewaert, the owner of PB+J Custom Designs.
“Our downtown has changed since I was a kid, it used to be very busy, lots of different businesses, and so I really appreciate the people who have been working towards putting this on throughout the summer, trying to revitalize some of the traffic downtown which it has,” said Callewaert.
At the August 6 event there were about ten tents set up on the street, as some vendors did not come due to a hail storm that hit their stands last Thursday, according to Callewaert.
Along with artisan vendors, the OPP had a water-gun aiming booth set up, 807 Bulls and Barrels had a cow-roping game, and kids could get creative with chalk.
Next Thursday for the final week of the street fair, there will be a bouncy castle donated by Dryden General Motors.
Travellers passing through Dryden don’t realize that there’s more to the city including a downtown core with local shops, said Shannon Wogenstahl, the executive director of PACE (Patricia Area Community Endeavours), one of the businesses that helps out with the event.
PACE took the lead in forming a downtown business association when the city lost their chamber of commerce, explained Wogenstahl.
“When (tourists) come to your community and they see all of these empty storefronts, its depressing,” she said.
“Small business is the heart of the local economies here, especially in small communities so (we do) everything that we can do to support the businesses to promote shopping local.”
Equipped with their cow-roping game, 807 Bulls and Barrels came to promote their rodeo-style event on September 4 and 5. Crossfire Bullriding is travelling to Dryden to put on a show along with local barrel racers.
Kirstin Fenwick, leader of 807 Bulls and Barrels said they came to Dryden Days of Summer to spread the word to the community.
With the recent closure of Warehouse One and the upcoming closure of the local Salvation Army Thrift Store, some Dryden residents are stressing the need to support local.
“We do have the big box stores, but it’s your small local businesses that are supporting our kid’s hockey teams or your kid’s baseball teams, they’re the ones that are giving back all the time,” said Wogenstahl.
“So, this is a chance for the local residents to be able to support out local economy and the small businesses.”
The Dryden Handmade Market is a large vendor and artisan event coming up in the city on September 25 and 26. According to their social media, it will feature 70 booths and take place in the Dryden Arena.
