Plymouth Residents React to Negative Art in the Park Comment

Every year, Art in the Park draws about a hundred thousand people to downtown Plymouth, but not all residents appreciate the event or the people who attend.

One Plymouth resident expressed her frustration earlier this week by leaving a comment on the Plymouth-Canton Patch article following the 34th annual event in Kellogg Park. 

Melinda Gates wrote that police and city council members don't give residents any consideration about the inconveniences they experience during downtown events like Art in the Park. 

Gates wrote, "You know the ones that pay the most exorbitant property tax at having the 'privilege' of living so close to downtown. The ones that have their driveways blocked and their houses surrounded by cars, trucks & vans driven by these 'outsiders' that invade Plymouth every year. They not only block our parking spots in front of our own property but leave their trash strewn all our our front & back lawns.

Gates went on to say how 'outsiders' ignore the no parking signs on the streets in neighborhoods surrounding downtown Plymouth and that police don't enforce the signs. 

Gates also wrote that the people and residents that love Art in the Park either make money from the event or are not inconvenienced by it.

Plymouth residents took to the Plymouth-Canton Patch Facebook page to voice their own opinions on Art in the Park. 

Fred Bertsch wrote, "I live in Downtown Plymouth and I love the Art Fair, the Fall Festival, the Ice Sculpture event, the Chili Cook-Off, and other events. These are what make Plymouth the great place that it is."

Kristen Drauss Farmer agreed. 

"I love the 'outsider invasion,'" she wrote. "It is fun to see people enjoying our town and spending money here. The traffic is bad for a few days, true....not worth complaining about."

Chris Corliss wrote that he leaves town every year to avoid the crowds.

Debbie Piotrowski voiced a different opinion.

"....Not everyone loves the art fair," she wrote. "I work for a retail/specialty/destination store and that weekend kills our business. Our customers cannot easily park therefore they avoid coming into town and the festival-goers are there to eat and shop the tents. But we're there, just like we are throughout the entire year. And yes, it brings in tons of people, but do they come back to plymouth in between art fairs?"

What do you think? Is Art in the Park good for the community?