Port street fest scrapped but farmers market still alive

By 
KRISTYN HALBIG ZIEHM
Ozaukee Press staff

The 13th annual Community Street Festival in Port Washington has been canceled by Port Main Street Inc. due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But plans for the summer farmers market are moving ahead, although the event will begin later than usual.

Main Street Executive Director Melissa Alexander said the organization decided to cancel the festival since it falls during Gov. Tony Evers’ Safer at Home period.

“It’s out of our hands. It happens before Safer at Home is lifted,” Alexander said. “The city (of Port Washington) and the Main Street board decided it was better to be safe than sorry.”

Main Street is considering holding a similar event later in summer to continue the tradition, she added.

The festival, which is traditionally held the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, is seen by many as the start of the summer season and a day when community members who haven’t seen each other over the winter.

It got its start after the city rebuilt Franklin Street as a way to show the new streetscape to residents and showcase downtown merchants.

Alexander said Main Street also decided to hold the weekly farmers market on Saturdays beginning June 20 — a decision she said was not influenced by the pandemic.

“It’s purely based on statistics,” she said, noting there is more produce available for purchase and the market is more popular after that date.

Main Street is, however, working on rules for vendors and the public to follow given the pandemic, she said.

“We will require some sort of personal protective equipment and social distancing,” she said. “We’re still looking at it as a city to see what’s best.”

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Wisconsin’s largest paid circulation community weekly newspaper. Serving Port Washington, Saukville, Grafton, Fredonia, Belgium, as well as Ozaukee County government. Locally owned and printed in Port Washington, Wisconsin.

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