‘Summer in the Nac’ Craft Show’ to debut in June
By Barb Pert Templeton
The non-profit group, Algonac Alive, is a volunteer-based organization that plans and promotes events to welcome people to the city throughout the year and they’ve just announced a new summer project.
The ‘Summer in the Nac Craft Show’ will debut in Algonac on Saturday, June 8 in Riverfront Park. Sponsored by Algonac Alive, the craft show will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Vendor space is $30 for a 12×12 space for those registered to participate in advance and $40 for a 12×12 space on the day of the event. All fees are non-refundable.
A flyer about the event notes that all vendors must provide their own equipment including tables, chair and canopies and that no electricity or running water will be available.
Algonac Alive representatives Beth Seczawa and City Councilman Michael Bembas are co-chairing the event.
Michael Bembas will be co-chairing the new event, ‘Summer in the Nac’ Craft Show’ with Beth Seczawa for the local non-profit Algonac Alive.
When the craft show item came up on the agenda at the March 5 Algonac City Council meeting, Councilwoman Dawn Davey asked Bembas if he could explain a bit more about the upcoming show.
Bembas said Seczawa knows a lot of crafters and small business owners and she’s also a crafter herself, selling necklaces and bracelets through her business, Beth’s Bracelets. So, the idea is that these small business owners could use the exposure for their works while also bringing a lot of people to the city for the show.
For example. a dog groomer is going to be there selling dog toys she makes at home and another lady will be there selling her world-famous glutton bread.
“Just things like that, that in my opinion help a small business get a foot hold to maybe becoming a larger business one day or just having fun selling their stuff,” Bembas said. “And it’s another event that we can walk around and say please take my money.”
So far, Seczawa has 51 vendors committed to the first craft show and she’s also got three food trucks lined up for that day.
“I would have never thought about food but they are calling her and asking her about it,” Bembas said.
“These things are like a big deal, we’ve worked a couple of them with the ARC and they are like serious business,” Davey said.
The one thing Bembas didn’t want for this event was to have art at the show.
Algonac City Councilman Michael Bembas explains the plans for the Algonac Alive ‘Summer in the Nac’ Craft Show’ during a March 5 city council meeting.
“We want to bring in a different clientele and we don’t want to compete against other organizations or other things, so it’s not an art fair, nobody will be selling art per say,” Bembas said. “Unless you consider somebody who sells bracelets, as art.”
The nicest thing about the show is that the money made for Algonac Alive always goes right back into the community. Bembas said the group hosts Quiet Christmas for disabled children, Touch A Truck and Halloween in the Nac’ which are all free events.
“This helps pay for the clown and for the bounce house, all those things cost money so if we can get a couple dollars…” Bembas said.
Other items mentioned in documents filed by Algonac Alive with the city for the event note that they would like to use the city’s trash receptacles for the event and will provide two port-a-johns for the public’s use that day.
Bembas concluded his explanation of the event to the council by saying the bottom line for him is if they can do things to bring people to Algonac that’s what is important.
The council then unanimously approved the application for the Summer in the Nac’ Craft show. Councilman Corey Blair was absent from the March 5 meeting.
To find out more about the event and to file an application to participate as a vendor contact Beth Seczawa at (810)278-4949 or Michael Bembas at (810)278-2243
