Pop-up shops are back up in the Bay of Quinte for the summer.
Today, City of Belleville opened its annual Pop-Ups on the Bay. The initiative will see vendors serving food, beverages and other products, along with weekly entertainment and events, from May to September in pop-up containers along West Zwick’s Park waterfront.
Elisha Purchase, Development and Tourism Coordinator for the City of Belleville, has been one of the main coordinators for this year’s Pop-Ups on the Bay. (Photo: Andrew Clarke / Quinte News)
Elisha Purchase, Development and Tourism Coordinator with the City of Belleville, has been working first hand with vendors to make this year the project’s best to date.
“So I think just amplifying the whole waterfront experience is a focus for us, so we’re going to be having live musicians playing, during each week we will have music playing throughout the park for the season. Big events are back in the park so that’s going to be creating a lot of traffic over the season and we also have a rotating pop-up program this year, so we’re really looking at bringing in new businesses throughout the season on a continuous basis that will support our seasonal vendors, our food trucks and our outfitter.”
Fourteen artists have been painting on site to bring 15 designs to life in the park creating a space for artistic expression and celebration. (Photo: Andrew Clarke / Quinte News)
This year will see 11 seasonal vendors operating along with the new rotating vendors program. A contractor has been hired to staff the initiative. They will act as a daily contact for vendors and coordinate events such as tonight’s Quinte Symphony concert at the Lions Pavilion which begins at 6:30 p.m., and the Family Fun Fest which runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., this Saturday, May 28.
Councillor Kelly McCaw, who sits on Belleville’s Economic and Destination Development Committee, is looking forward to this year’s event.
“I think this is going to be the best year yet. I think with the new vendors, the existing vendors, I think we’ve got an excellent thing going here. So I think you’re going to see this to be the biggest year yet.”
Park Play Micro Golf, 9-hole miniature golf, is part of this year’s Pop-ups on the Bay. (Photo: Andrew Clarke / Quinte News)
This is Pop-Ups on the Bay’s fourth year running,. In previous years the project was limited due to flooding and most recently COVID-19 restrictions which created various challenges for staff and pop-up shops.
Vendors will be open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday to Sunday in May, June and September, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday in July and August.
For more on participating vendors at this years Pop-Ups on the Bay visit its website here.
