Pumpkin Palooza Attendees Question Why Local Businesses Remained Closed

Hundreds hit the closed off streets of downtown Plymouth on Sunday, celebrating the third annual Pumpkin Palooza.

Wes Graff, president of the Plymouth Community Chamber of Commerce, said this year's event was the biggest it's ever been.

However, some attendees were disappointed that not all of downtown Plymouth's merchants were open for business. 

One woman expressed her bewilderment by leaving a comment on the Plymouth-Canton Patch article showcasing the event with a photo gallery. Kristin Curle said Sunday was the first time she attended Pumpkin Palooza. 

Curle wrote, "I was dismayed to see the number of stores not open for business though. I realize it was a Sunday, but I would have thought the businesses would be thrilled to have thousands of people as a captive audience. We spent 45 minutes in front of the Boule Artisan Bakery yesterday watching a magic show. It was closed! All the while I was standing there, I kept thinking, it sure would be nice to go in, get a cup of coffee, some cookies and bread. Thank you to the businesses that were open! Especially Subway, Cozy Cafe, Kilwin's, Jimmy Johns, Just Baked and The Box Bar - all the businesses we patronized during our time in downtown Plymouth!"

A majority of Patch readers agreed with Curle on Plymouth-Canton Patch's Facebook page.

Jennifer Matthews wrote, "It always surprised me that businesses downtown wouldn't stay open for events, whether on the weekends or on weekday evenings. If I were a shop owner I would want to make the most of every opportunity, especially in today's economy, because you never know what tomorrow will bring."

Sarah Knox Krot commented, "I always think that... I work weekdays so events and weekends are the few times I would actually be able to shop downtown."

Heather Lee agreed, "I was surprised how many were closed. Maybe Palooza should be Saturday next year?"

Jeff Horne was the lone dissenter who voiced his opinion.

"The store owners are probably Christians and not worried about making a few bucks on the Sabbath," he wrote.

Graff addressed Lee's comment about why the event is held on a Sunday, rather than a Saturday.

"By holding it on a Sunday we don't interfere with the regular customer base from coming in," Graff said. "When you get an event in downtown Plymouth, while it's great for the community, promotes the community and creates the heart and soul of what we are, it also keeps other customers from coming in. So we're finding some of our best events are held on a Sunday. It exposes people to downtown Plymouth and of course, the hope then is that they will come back. And in many cases, some businesses are open and they benefit from that."

In addition, certain events are not for all of the local downtown Plymouth businesses. For example, Sunday's Pumpkin Palooza, with all of the kids running around, would not benefit a jewelry store or another business with lots of breakables to stay open because it's not their target customer base, Graff explained. 

What do you think about local businesses being closed during downtown Plymouth events? Tell us in the comments.