Another decade of Silly Sundays on the docket for City Council

The Park Silly Sunday Market. Photo: TownLift // Rayne Moynahan

In response to a survey, 28% of Park City businesses still feel the market negatively affects them

PARK CITY, Utah — After much debate, surveys and community discussion, it appears the time has come for the Park City Council to make a decision about the future of Park Silly Sunday Market. The Market, which operates an open-air collection of stalls on Park City’s Main Street, does not currently have an operating contract with the city.

Park Silly Sunday Market contract terms

In a letter dated Aug. 30, Kate McChesney, the executive director of Park Silly Sunday Market, proposes the desired terms of a future contract with the city for operating the market.

Key terms from Park Silly:

• 8-10 year contract
• 11 Sundays, June through September
• Hours: 10 a.m. 5 p.m.
• Location: Lower Main Street only, from Heber Avenue to Deer Valley Drive

Business sentiment

The Historic Park City Association board conducted a survey of its members, the businesses most impacted from the market. The survey was specifically geared toward asking how the reduced 2023 schedule and footprint impacted businesses.

Business survey responses:

• 28% still feel the market negatively affects their business and do not support it staying on Main Street
• 20% liked reduced schedule
• 41% would prefer consistency with 14 markets
• 6% not affected by Market
• 5% not open on Sunday

After conducting a formal vote, the HPCA says it supports the Market with the same reduced schedule and footprint as 2023. HPCA also recommends that the Market advertises the reduced schedule so that both residents and visitors can plan accordingly.

The Market also scored strait As on their measures of success score card. This evaluated the market on vendor mix, parking/traffic/pedestrian management, market set-up and inspections, street cleaning and trash removal, coordination with city government and HPCA, marketing and PR.

Funding

The Market’s city service fees are funded from the General Fund and approved for up to $85,000 in fee waivers, while actual city service fees were $64,226 for the 2023 event. The market provides bollard installation and pedestrian management at Heber and Main at its expense.

Parking revenues from the 2023 Market events totaled $339,850.

Staff recommendation

City Council Staff recommends that Council approves a five-year agreement in a form approved by the city attorney, including the specific schedule for 2024.

The special events committee is recommending the City Council consider a five-year contract (2024 to 2028) with an option to extend for three additional years (2029 to 2031) and including the dates for the 2024 event.

The regular City Council meeting where the Market contract will come under consideration will begin at 6 p.m. on Oct. 26 at the City Council Chambers. Before the Council votes, there will be a public hearing on a future Market contract.