Update: 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 the nine blocks of Douglas Street that were closed to vehicles 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 taking applications in early 2018,” he said.
The event cost about $100,000 to produce, from infrastructure to entertainment.
More than 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.
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Earlier story
Dark grey clouds, a light drizzle and cool temperatures may have conspired to give the third annual Car Free YYJ festival a slow start Sunday, but it didn’t take long for Douglas Street to fill up with thousands of people.
An hour after the nine-block street party kicked off, Douglas Street was jammed with people, which led to a lot of stop-and-start walking, talking, and gawking at the more than 400 vendors who were lined up cheek-by-jowl along the route between Courtney Street and Chatham Street.
Early in the day, with temperatures cooler this year and the sun nowhere to be seen, the lines were short at snow cone, ice cream and lemonade stands, and the licensed venues were slow to fill — by noon last year under a hot sun they were teeming with people.
Security staff at two of the licensed areas expected by mid-afternoon they’d have decent sized crowds regardless of weather and the entertainers on the stage.
Last year, an estimated 30,000 people made it to the event, which is a presentation of the Downtown Victoria Business Association in partnership with the City of Victoria and B.C. Transit.
And while the skies remained dull all day, organizers may have hit that mark again this year.
“I’m a little worried about the weather this year, but I still have great hopes for the day,” said Jared Nyberg, co-owner of Jagasilk, which was offering cold tea and refreshing kombucha drinks at its stand at the south end of the street.
Nyberg said regardless of how they do as a vendor, he deems the festival a success.
“We look at it like whether or not we do well here it’s something we want to support — what an awesome concept,” he said. “If it was just about the economics we could just open our shop doors (beside the Bug Zoo inside Nootka Court), but this is part of community building 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 the length of the street. “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.”
Jones did note that if there was one drawback it was the long stream of vendors selling the same kinds of thing she sees at every festival and market in the summer.
But tucked amid the crafts sellers, artisans, retailers who had moved outdoors for the day and food trucks there were also organizations trying to use the venue to increase awareness of various causes.
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, was taking part.
One of its featured partners, speech-language pathologist Marlene Lewis, noted Car Free YYJ was a chance to share stories and create awareness with the broader community.
Lewis, 65, who has been working by day to end childhood dyslexia, also shared the fact she is part of a group that recently bought a farm where they will be planting fast growing trees that can be harvested within 10 years and used for decorative trim and building things like guitars and surfboards.
Lewis stressed it’s a sustainable crop that will not disrupt any of the other farming being done on the new 69-acre plot of land.
Douglas Street, which was to continue partying, selling, eating and drinking until 6 p.m. Sunday, was also littered with interactive stalls allowing kids to play, dunk tanks, Dr. Seuss’s Things 1 and 2 and various others in costume.
“This is all pretty cool, it’s nice to have everyone down here,” said Frances Litman of This is Leadership.
And there was clearly something for everyone who managed to squeeze through the crowds.
