News photo of Steve Schulwitz Aleksa Fortuna, owner of Blu Blends, transmits a smoothie to a customer during his shop Friday at the New Water Street Commons in downtown Alpena.
Alpena-Companies in the city center, including those of the New Water Street Commons, were busy during the Alpena Flowers Festival last weekend.
According to Anne Gentry, the Executive Director of Alpena Downtown Development Authority, some business owners told her that they had seen a 30% increase in cases compared to last year and that many people became familiar with new small businesses on the market.
It was the first year that the festival started on Thursday and ended on Sunday. Gentry said the city center was occupied during the event. She said that companies have noticed a significant increase in pedestrian traffic and that people were impatient to spend.
“This year has certainly been the most successful year so far for the event,” she said. “Some companies said they had increased by 30% in sales almost every day and that many said that last year, they were just occupied on Saturday, but this year, they were busy all the time.”
Gentry said that in particular more floral events, activities and exhibitions in the alley of the city center worked well, because it was a place where people gathered and also went from shops, restaurants and bars nearby.
“The aisle was thrilled whenever I went there during the festival,” said Gentry. “Overall, it was a huge success, the weather was perfect, and most of the comments we obtained come from people and businesses who want us to continue to develop the Festival des Fleurs.”
This year’s festival included a 5 km which, according to Gentry, helped attract people to Alpena and the festival. She said that the Petal Pub Crawl Thursday evening, a new event, was also popular and that many people have made stops in all the companies that participated.
The new market was unveiled last week and the Flower Festival offered to small businesses, which are installed in small cabins, to present their products during a large sale. Gentry said that the comments of the people who visited the market were positive and that people were surprised by the unique nature of the available products.
The slowdown in the cider tasting room, which will be opened by the Knaebe Pommel farm and the cider, could not open because it is still awaiting its state alcohol license. Gentry said that the large cabin is erected and that it has been inspected and that it will not take long before the opening.
“Everything should be finished next week and alcohol control has done his first investigation and he had no problem,” said Gentry. “There is as on more little follow -up that must be done and then they should be able to start. We have no official opening date, but it should be very soon.”
Knaebe’s will offer her hard cider, his flights and will be part of the downtown social district which allows people to take their drinks in the city center with them.
Gentry said the Flower Festival is only the first of the city center or near the city center. She said the Blues Annual Festival will soon arrive on Saturday June 21, then Michigan Brown Trout Festival is also on the horizon in July. Gentry said that it expects the city center to be busy most of the time, because time is heating up and the school has come out.
Steve Schulwitz can be contacted at 989-358-5689 or sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com. Follow it on x @ ss_alpenanews.com.