Lake Front Market draws huge crowd

HURON — The Huron Lake Front Market welcomed nearly 3,200 visitors to Huron's Lake Front Park on Saturday, June 6. Produced by the Greater Sandusky Partnership and sponsored by Shores & Islands Ohio, the market featured dozens of vendors, local food, live entertainment and a new family and children's area. Attendance was equal to nearly 46% of Huron's population, roughly 7,000 residents, according to a visitation analysis released by the Greater Sandusky Partnership's Policy Center. Visitors spent an average of 80 minutes at the market, demonstrating a destination shopping experience. "The response from the community exceeded our expectations," said McKenzie Spriggs, senior director of destination management for the partnership. "The Huron Lake Front Market was created to celebrate the waterfront, support local businesses and entrepreneurs and provide another reason for people to explore Huron. Seeing so many people gather along the lakefront reinforced the value that vibrant public spaces and community experiences bring to a place." The market's reach extended beyond Huron. Nearly half of all visitors traveled from more than 10 miles away, including guests from 58 different ZIP codes across eight states. Top visitor origins included Huron, Sandusky, Vermilion, Norwalk and Milan while mobility data also captured visitors from Arizona, Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin. Visitor movement data indicated strong spillover activity to nearby businesses and attractions, including Gathering Grounds, Pier Pub, Sand Bar, Huron Market, Pied Piper and the Huron Boat Basin area. Additionally, more than 7% of visitors arrived from nearby lodging properties, demonstrating the market's ability to engage overnight guests and support Huron's visitor economy. Based on published farmers market spending benchmarks, opening day generated an estimated $77,000 to $98,000 in on-site spending among vendors. "We were thrilled to see such strong attendance throughout the entire day," said Rachael Summerfield, the partnership's events coordinator. "The market maintained steady crowds from opening until close, and vendors consistently told us they were pleased with the turnout." By the numbers Here are some numbers to best understand the Huron Lake Front Market's impact: • 3,200: total number of visitors • 80: number of minutes, on average, a visitor stayed • 58: number of different ZIP codes where people traveled from to attend • 47: percentage of visitors who traveled more than 10 miles to attend • $77,000 to $98,000: estimated total on-site spending by visitors