CAPE VINCENT, New York (WWNY) – This year’s French Festival was a banner day for some businesses, while others saw big losses.
Now, the Cape Vincent Chamber of Commerce is holding a Town Hall August 1 for feedback from the community, to help try and improve the annual event.
“This French Festival this year, the 54th French Festival, was so large in size that we had to be very strategic in our day of planning. What I mean by that is parking, and barriers, and road closures,” said Kristie Stumpf Rork, Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce.
The size and success of this year’s festival – a celebration of Cape Vincent’s French heritage -prompted the town hall. It was a three day event, July 8 – 10, with the main festival day on Saturday, July 9.
“It was one of the best days that the store has ever had in the 25 years we have been in business,” said Michael Mahrer, owner of the Bella Epoque Gift Shop.
But for others, not so much.
“We lost over $4,000 in four hours compared to last year during Covid,” said Fran Letizia Jr., one of the owners of Telly’s Inn.
Traffic was blocked off much further from Telly’s than years’ past, the owners said.
“Normally, which as long as French Festival has been going on, it’s been blocked off at Lake Street, which is the next street after us. So traffic is normally able to flow through this area,” said Jenny Letizia, another of Telly’s owners.
Telly’s owners say the blockage in traffic caused them to lost significant business for both the restaurant and motel over the French Festival weekend. They say that the lack of traffic came from a lack of communication.
“No advanced notification of the blockages. They blocked outside of their perimeters,” Fran Letizia said.
When asked about the traffic situation, Chamber of Commerce officials said they wanted to stress that all of the decisions about the road closures were made with the safety of the people attending the festival in mind, and with the coordination of local law enforcement.
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