“Party on Park” is on, but food, beverage mobile vendors out

by Dan McClelland

“Party on Park” is still on for the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, but there’s a new condition.

In its final approval of the street-closing of the two blocks of the Park Street business district Monday night, the village board, at the insistence of Trustee Eric Shaheen, voted to not permit mobile food or drink vendors to participate.

The street closing still awaits approval from the Watertown office of the state Department of Transportation.

Mr. Shaheen first raised his concern about including the mobile food units in the coming event and the harm they could do to the actual restaurants and eateries in the uptown business district when the board met to continue work on the new budget Thursday.

Following the discussion that evening Mayor Paul Maroun said he talked with Dan McClelland and Josh Mclean about the food vendor condition. Mr. McClelland, as acting chamber of commerce president and retailers Josh Mclean and Garrett Kopp pitched the “Party on Park” revival plan at the regular April board meeting. The mayor said he also spoke with Tupper Arts President Sue Delehanty, who also appeared that night to back the event.

Mr. Maroun said Monday the event organizers said they could accept the board condition.

Mr. Shaheen asked Monday if the board could put his condition into a formal board motion and his colleagues agreed.

Trustee Leon LeBlanc brought the motion, noting that only that actual businesses on the street that sell food could sell it.

“But if someone wants to bring some beer-testing thing to the event, that’s fine,” he added to his motion.

“Why is that?” Trustee David “Haji” Maroun asked. “It would be a booth.” He noted that Stewart’s Shop in the uptown business district sells beer, asking why it should have competition from a beer vendor.

At the past two “Party on Park” events Raquette River Brewing has brought samples of its beer to give away.

“I’m talking about food, Haji,” Mr. LeBlanc stated. “I want the people who come to the event to go into the restaurants to eat. I don’t want food vendors on the street!”

Mr. Maroun wondered if organizers had requested an exception to the town’s open container ordinance, as Tupper Brewing had done when it hosted events on Cliff Ave. in past years.

Mr. LeBlanc said that was not part of the request by the retailers to the board.

“So what kind of vendors” do you want to permit to operate on the street, the mayor asked them that evening.

“No food or beverage vendors,” Trustee Shaheen suggested.

“Well, what about a brick and mortar business here like Raquette River Brewing that has a vendor cart?” the mayor asked his board members.

“If they sell food, then no,” Trustee LeBlanc told the mayor.

“The visitors can’t be drinking alcohol on the streets anyways. That’s a local law,” Trustee Jason McClain told his colleagues.

Trustee David Maroun suggested that Well Dressed Food, which sells Raquette River products in its restaurant, could sell that beer there. The local restaurant features sidewalk tables all summer, and it could be served there.

Trying to gauge the board sentiment Mayor Maroun wondered if Annie Eldred, who owns Cabin Fever Floral could bring a mobile flower cart to the event and the board members felt she could, since she operates at brick and mortar business here.

“So it’s just food and beverages” we’re not allowing? The mayor asked. “I just want to make sure.”

The board members said they were the two items that shouldn’t be sold by a mobile vendor, out of consideration for the restaurants on the street.

“That was the big gripe last year,” Trustee Shaheen reminded them.