Holidazzle Market

[twincitizen]

https://streets.mn/2014/12/12/whats-germ ... ah-humbug/

I largely agree with this streets.mn post, though it could have been a bit less abrasive / more persuasive.

There seem to be too camps of complaints:

A. It's not the Holidazzle parade / not fun for kids

B. It's expensive overall and the entry fee is unreasonable.


Nick, Phil, and I went on Friday night and had a good time. Consuming alcohol was a pretty big factor in the enjoyment level. The weather was fairly warm, though not nearly as warm as Saturday and Sunday were this weekend. It was pretty durn packed from 7-9pm, and we stayed there until last call.

RE: capacity - As long as the event takes place in Peavy Plaza, an entrance fee is absolutely a necessary evil. Without the fee, the place would be absolutely swamped and overburdened to the point of chaos breaking out on mild, weekend evenings. What do you think the complaints would be like if people drove from whateverburb, paid to park, then had to wait over an hour in line to get in? Probably about the same as the bellyaching over the $6 fee. At a bare minimum, the fee keeps crowds manageable. Perhaps if the event is successful enough, the could bring it down to $5, or figure out a way to give you some kind of keepsake trinket instead of a paper receipt. Or the entrance fee/mug fee could be combined.

Yes, everything is ridiculously expensive . It's pretty much state fair prices - everything's $10. The State Fair seems to do alright. A bunch of people pay $13 to get in there just to eat & people-watch (i.e. not everyone does rides/games/etc). Many people go to the fair multiple times. The event runs for a month, so I guess the idea is that you'll go at least twice. Even if you don't, $6/adult is cheaper than a movie, sporting even, cover at a nightclub, etc. There are endless examples of places you have to pay to get in, only to pay more money once you're in.

In short, a huge source of the complaints seem to stem from the fact that it isn't Holidazzle. Perhaps the biggest mistake was trying to bill it as a replacement, when in reality, it's a completely separate, completely unrelated event, with a completely different target market. Christmas Market (that's what my mug said after the "Holiday" sticker immediately fell off) is an event for adults of all ages to come enjoy a nice evening downtown, imbibe alcoholic beverages and eat different foods outdoors in the company of other people. Probably leave your non-infant children at home.

[mattaudio]

Pshaw, we shouldn't need to spend $6 for the right to drink outdoors downtown during the winter. That's what travel mugs are for.

[Snelbian]

I can't figure out why so many people suddenly miss the parade. I went twice in the last five years and both times it was abysmally dull and underwhelming.

[Tyler]

I was talking to a downtown retailer on Saturday and they think the market is way better for them and other businesses downtown. With the parade, people were on a timeline, and would rush too it to get a spot and rush back to their car to beat the traffic. Or rush from the parade into macy's to see santa and beat the crowds. With the market, people are meandering and its helping business. According to them, at least.

[Silophant]

I think its the same nostalgia deal as Nye's. People have good memories of it and don't want it to be gone, even though they haven't personally been there in years or decades.

[Nick]

I think its the same nostalgia deal as Nye's. People have good memories of it and don't want it to be gone, even though they haven't personally been there in years or decades.

-1,000,000

[Nick]

With the market, people are meandering and its helping business. According to them, at least.

Way more meandering from what I can tell! It's great. I felt compelled to walk home to Loring Park from Nicollet Mall Station on Saturday just to take it in. Took my earphones out and everything. Lotta people paying a lotta Minneapolis $ale$ tax!

[Didier]

I went this weekend too. And by I went I mean I walked by, looked at the reindeer and then moved on to the Local. But still, Nicollet mall was packed, and I have to imagine the event's impact on downtown is much greater than the parade.

I didn't go in mostly because I wasn't super interested and the line was long. Lots and lots of people were going in though. As Twincitizen said, there would be no way to have the market in Peavy Plaza without the controlled entry.

I expect this to grow and improve greatly in the next couple years.

[MinnMonkey]

Went for the 3rd time on Sunday around noon. Very busy, people buying stuff, and Nicollet Mall was packed between Peavey Plaza and 7th Street. After 7th Street it became pretty quite, and I was thinking if they could have another attraction on the north end of Nicollet Mall, the entire stretch would be packed with people.

[Snelbian]

I was talking to a downtown retailer on Saturday and they think the market is way better for them and other businesses downtown. With the parade, people were on a timeline, and would rush too it to get a spot and rush back to their car to beat the traffic. Or rush from the parade into macy's to see santa and beat the crowds. With the market, people are meandering and its helping business. According to them, at least.

I haven't been to Nicollet Mall more than a dozen times since moving from campus to St. Paul seven years ago. Walking from the Green Line to the market I noticed a handful of places I didn't know were there now that I'll be going back to check out and that I probably wouldn't have noticed in the dark on a rush to get a good spot in the skyway for the parade.

[Silophant]

The Holidazzle will be moving to Loring Park this year, since Nicollet will still be torn up. They've learned their lesson from last year, and there will not be an admission fee.

[amiller92]

The Holidazzle will be moving to Loring Park this year, since Nicollet will still be torn up. They've learned their lesson from last year, and there will not be an admission fee.

Huh. Well, that will offer a lot more space, which is good. But it will also be not terribly adjacent to many businesses. Hopefully they make use of the Greenway as a means of encouraging people to visit downtown too.

[MNdible]

Yeah, that was my initial reaction as well. Too bad they couldn't get St. Thomas to allow them to use their surface parking lot behind the old McPhail -- seems like that would be a perfect location, and about the right size.

[Silophant]

I was thinking the lot on Marquette between 9th and 10th, but that would work too.

But, the Loring Park location will be close to me, so I can't complain too much.

[EOst]

I'm sure Eggy's and the Loring Kitchen won't be complaining.

[Snelbian]

I'm just happy I won't have to try and lug a stroller in and out of a terraced pit.

[MattW]

Having the market in a park is much true-er to the European tradition. Hopefully they'll also expand a bit. I went to the one in Hyde Park in London last year, it was massive.

And, yes I'm aware London =/= Minneapolis.

[MNdible]

Did I miss it in the announcement? Have they said which part of the park they're thinking about using? Presumably, it needs to be a hard-surfaced area, otherwise it's going to turn into a giant mud/ice fiasco, right?

[amiller92]

Did I miss it in the announcement? Have they said which part of the park they're thinking about using? Presumably, it needs to be a hard-surfaced area, otherwise it's going to turn into a giant mud/ice fiasco, right?

There's a link above, but I didn't see the specifics. I guess I was picturing a set-up like they do for Pride, where the vendors would be arranged along the paths, where the shoppers would walk. Of course, the image in my head failed to account for snow and ice.

[grant1simons2]

Probably closest to the middle where many of the paths meet up.