Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Trade Days in second year

The Nevada County Trade Days have been going on monthly in downtown Prescott for more than a year and organizers say the event will continue for the foreseeable future.

Prescott-Nevada County Chamber of Commerce Director Mary Godwin said there have been some changes since the events inception and some things that they didnt predict.

We thought it would be more steady, Godwin said, citing the excellent attendance of one month compared to light attendance another. The weather plays a big role, probably more than any of us anticipated.

Godwin said attendance falls off when its hot or cold and the best months seem to have been in the milder months.

Despite some slow months, Godwin said merchants say that there are more people in town on Trade Days Saturdays than are typically in town without the event.

One problem, according to Godwin, is finding ways to draw locals to the downtown area. She said there have been some local people attending, but that there seem to be more visitors from out-of-town.

Were looking for more creative ways to get local people to come out, Godwin said.

When the event began, there was a $15 charge for booth space, but that fee has now been eliminated meaning anyone can set up without charge. Godwin said the original goal was to generate some money for advertising, but said drawing more vendors seems more important than the small amount of money that was being collected.

Though booth spaces are free, Godwin said vendors should still call to reserve a space.

Over the past few months, vendors have set up flea market items, garage sales, antiques, crafts and more. For more information or to reserve a booth space, call the chamber at 887-2101.