Westville Art Market - For Small Businesses

WAM!

Support Our Small Businesses

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As our country attempts to recover from the global pandemic, small businesses (who were hit the hardest by the economic freeze) try to heat up. The stay-at-home orders as a result of COVID-19 caused numerous businesses to lose revenue, closing many. Even those that didn’t close undoubtedly struggled with a loss of product supply, demand, and profit. The small businesses in the Greater New Haven community need our help to get them back on their feet.

The Westville Village Renaissance Alliance (WVRA) is hosting several Winter Market events through the Westville Art Market (WAM) collaboration. The first of these events was held on Small Business Saturday (11/27) and focused on getting the word out about the struggles faced by small business owners. This event, however, lacked attendance and excitement from the neighborhood.

For the next three Sundays (December 5th, 12th, and 19th), there will be a Winter Market focused on small businesses and craftspeople in the New Haven area. Each of these markets takes place between 4:00 and 6:00 PM at the Central Patio, which is located at the end of Central Avenue (directly behind Dunkin Donuts). These markets provide a stage for local business owners to promote their stores and arts.

These events are made possible by the workers at WVRA, including executive director Lizzy Donius. Although these wonderful Westville workers help so much in the planning process, the setting up of the event is made possible in a large part due to volunteers; neighbors make it happen! Without the multiple volunteers that come out before every Westville occurrence to help set up, the events would not be possible. This past weekend, as I helped construct tents for the Small Business Market, a staff member of WVRA mentioned that only three of the people working there were getting paid; the rest were volunteering on a blustery, early Saturday morning out of the goodness of their heart. While this may seem like a note of gratitude to those volunteering for our Westville community, it is actually a call to action to those who were not in attendance last Saturday; the Greater New Haven community needs to put more effort into setting up events and activities like the Art Markets. We need to give a helping hand to those fundamental parts of our community that we took for granted before the global pandemic. Without the presence of small businesses in the community, the city would crumble before the fried food fist of chains and global corporations. As we attempt to thaw the freeze on the economy by the pandemic, more hands are needed to build the fire melting the ice. We implore you to lend any help you can, whether it be a torch, a lighter, a bonfire, or just a match - any and all is needed and appreciated.