The market, which includes live music and a wide variety of vendors, won’t return to Park City’s Main Street until Sept. 3.
This year’s August break is longer than normal per the event’s latest contract with Park City Municipal.
The market’s organizers downsized the event after hearing concerns about disruption from Main Street business owners. As a result there are only 11 Sundays this year compared to last year’s 14, and the market is confined to lower Main Street, north of Heber Avenue.
Park Silly Sunday Market Executive Director Kate McChesney said those reductions have a financial impact on operations.
“This year, taking a 25% cut of days also took a 25% cut of vendor revenue, which also took a 25% cut of a lot of the other revenues that we have out there,” McChesney said.
Despite that, she said demand from vendors to get on the market’s waitlist remains high.
The market’s contract with Park City expires in September. McChesney said she plans to meet with the city Aug. 25 to discuss a potential future contract.
“We’re looking forward to hearing whether or not the city wants to continue,” she said. “Obviously, it’s difficult, some of the asks that we have really turn the market into something that doesn’t allow for our business plan. We want to be a Sunday market, we want to be on Main Street, we want to have a good amount of days.”
Part of the market’s efforts to reduce the impact on Old Town includes diverting car traffic from Main Street. This year more people are taking public transit to get to the market, according to a staff report.
On average, more than 4,200 people took the bus during Silly Sundays so far this year. Additionally, nearly 900 bikers have used the free bike valet on 9th Street.
The market returns for four more Sundays beginning Sept. 3 and ending Sept. 24.
