Peter can shill with the best of them! "One of the best non-profits in town, . . ." he says,
"Main Street has been the best economic development group in Carbondale for the last 5 years. They have a limited focus of helping our downtown area, no messing around with anything else.So I bid on something.
A good cause and good people. Help keep our downtown business core strong and bid on something you need. Now is the time to get that Holiday Shopping down early."
I wish I could bid on Peter giving the old Gregorianalysis to Carbondale Main Street. On a cost-benefit basis. (I can't wait til he gets to Pig Out!)
Here's an idea -- Why not have Pig Out at the Town Square Pavilion and parking lot this year! And in the parking lots across the street. That area of town needs more boosting than the 710 parking lot businesses.
Have free parking and make it a party.
4 comments:
Believe it or not, moving Pig Out to the Town Square has been considered and voted against for two reasons:
1: Main Street already has several activities taking place at Town Square, i.e. Meet Me on Main, Brown Bag Concerts, Farmer's Market. The organization has nothing at the southern end of Illinois Ave.
2: Main Street doesn't want to have really large freight trains running right through the middle of the festivities. They would drown out the bands. More importantly, all the event needs is one person with a few too many beers in them to fall in front of a train and that would be the end of Pig Out.
I believe you Scott. However, the activities you site are nowhere near equivalent in cost or scope. The drunk in freight train scenario is a scary, but implausible scenario.
My question to Peter (and you) is, from a cost-benefit analysis, how worthwhile is Pig Out to the majority of Carbondale businesses who are forced to subsidize it. . I realize some businesses, like Castle Perilous, get their location and name exposed. But other than that? I once did a survey of business owners around the area of 710 and none of them felt their businesses were helped by Pig Out.
It certainly hasn't helped Big Boys Q, (which pays money to support Carbondale Main Street), but was not permitted to sell barbecue at Pig Out because an exclusive contract was given to an out-of-town restaurant.
I know the businesses around the Pig Out have a bad weekend because of it. Food sales are down in the normal places. Of course, that weekend the Apple Festival is happening in Murphy and it is normally a nice, outdoor, kind of weather and that is bad for business too.
I'll think about the issues of which might be better. My take on it is that it is a push. Of course, moving it might kill it the momentum, so that unknown would have to be considered.
When the smoking ban kicks in next year, will it be illegal to smoke at the pigout???? How will the meat be cooked?!!!!
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