By
Maggie Burnett
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Area businesses not sold on changes made to monthly cultural event
Despite significant changes made earlier this summer to improve Tucson's Downtown Saturday Night, area vendors still doubt how much the event is benefitting the downtown district.
Downtown Saturday Night was divided into two separate events earlier this summer in response to a decline in attendance and public input about the lessening quality of the event.
"The most major change (to Downtown Saturday Night) has been the repositioning of vendors to a new event," said Greg Loumeau, publicity coordinator for Downtown Saturday Night. "In other words, due to feedback from the public and merchants, they wanted the best things from Downtown Saturday Night - which were the performances, music, galleries and food - but didn't necessarily want vendors selling items at the same event."
Tucson residents can now attend Downtown Saturday Night on the first Saturday of every month, as well as the Third Saturday Craft Market on that third Saturday.
The changes to Downtown Saturday Night, sponsored by the Tucson Arts District Partnership, were implemented in early summer in hopes of bringing bigger crowds, higher profits and a family-like atmosphere back into the downtown area, Loumeau said.
Vendors, however - having not felt enough of a difference in crowd turnout to continue extending business hours during Downtown Saturday Night - are skeptical of how much improvement these changes have resulted in.
"We rarely ever made sales during Downtown Saturday Night," said Susan Ruff, director of Etherton Gallery, 135 S. Sixth Ave. "We didn't see that it was economically making sense anymore. Basically, we had done our community service for many years, and we didn't need to do it anymore."
Ruff added that it had become a growing expense to pay two staff members to run the gallery on Saturday nights - even when no sales were being made.
Not all vendors, however, are unsatisfied with the new format for Downtown Saturday Night.
"I haven't observed any negative aspects from Downtown Saturday Night," said Barbara Jo McLaughlin, executive director of the Dinnerware Contemporary Art Gallery, 135 E. Congress St. "At first, I wasn't sure if it was a good thing for the gallery, but, having sat here through a few, I like them. I do feel positive about it and the crowd we get."
Other vendors feel that Downtown Saturday Night, even with the changes, will not make a significant impact on local commerce until the event is utilized to promote a more cohesive Tucson community.
"I don't know that Downtown Saturday Night can revamp the whole area," said Raymon Flores, owner of El Charro restaurant at 311 N. Court Ave. "I can't say if it has impacted El Charro. We need to focus on the whole area every night. A one-night event a month wouldn't change my business enough."
Flores said he would like to see a connection between the downtown and Fourth Avenue cultural areas, as well as the shopping and restaurant district on University Boulevard.
"We need something to hold us together. Downtown should be considered the University of Arizona, Fourth Avenue and downtown," Flores said. "There is no reason why these areas of town shouldn't be connected through a common cause."
September 16 marks the next Third Saturday Craft Market, while the next Downtown Saturday Night will be on Oct. 7. Both events are from 7-9 p.m. throughout the downtown area.
