The City Park Pavilion is a large campus that runs east-west, and “faces” East. You can visualize it as the Bandstand being the “front” and the Garden being in “back,” however that is not to say that the back has less traffic. I would say it’s pretty equal.
People enter the park from all over but there is a lot of parking on the west side (by that MLK memorial roundabout), and on the north east side (by the zoo). So both front and back get people coming in that direction and then checking out all the booths. The “Food Street” connects the two areas. Many people start by the Pavilion/Bandstand, get something to eat and then check out the Garden, or vice versa.
Every spot that I offer is a “good” spot, or I will stop offering it. The spectacle of the whole thing tends to make patrons want to visit everything.
The differences in locations are just a matter of what works for you.
These are the Sections:
Outside Pavilion (Concrete) Inside Pavilion Bandstand Lawn Food Path Garden Garden Walkway and Food Street
Outside the Pavilion
Arguable the best foot traffic and you are essentially the “face” of the market.
Easiest setup, with no grass
Shielded the most from wind (still could experience some lake breeze)
Best for seasoned market professionals, not newbies.
There are no 5’x10′ spots
There are a couple opportunities for a double-sized booth, but they will be deep, not wide. and they will sometimes have a structural column taking up a little space.
Inside the Pavilion
Roofed structure, so no need for canopy tent
Easy setup with no grass, BUT you do have to wait until the building is unlocked and that can vary. It is always open by 9am though.
Cooler temperatures and open-air so still somewhat susceptible to wind, depending on how severe
Potential for a little congestion with lots of foot traffic and narrow aisles
Many table-based spots that are cheaper
Bandstand Lawn PLEASE NOTE: FOR SEPTEMBER, THIS LAYOUT HAS BEEN UPDATED TO THE BELOW PHOTO
Easy setup with no grass for September for most spots, arguable as good as the Outside of the Pavilion.
Ground should be flat everywhere, wagons and clothing racks will roll well on grass spots
Less spots than usual due to a grass-watering issue.
Food Path
High-traffic due to being on the way to or from the food
Near the DJ booth if you like your music with a good subwoofer
Tents are on mostly flat grass
Potential for there to be random mud or whatever due to weather.
Garden
Surprisingly great foot traffic due to the fact that a lot of people park on the west side of the park and walk this way first
Booths are on grass and walking paths are grass/dirt paths
Ground is flat and your wagon/clothing rack will roll well
The Tier 1 spots are the first thing people shop as they enter the garden
More of a picnic-y laissez-faire vibe (but you still have to follow our policies)
Garden Walkway
A nice paved and sometimes shaded area that’s great for tables
10’x10’s are not allowed, there is not space
Some shoppers will not exit out this way (they will think to leave the pavilion the way they came in) so it will probably get less traffic. Over time we will improve this.
The load-in path is all paved and easy to get to, but a little long. There is a quicker route to get there, but it involves stairs, so the quicker path is not ideal for wagons.
