After a three-year hiatus, organizers of the Dresden Summer Night Market are looking forward to bringing the community back together again.
The event kicks off in downtown Dresden on Saturday at 4 p.m. and will feature local businesses, more than 80 vendors, several food trucks, live music, and a pop-up bar.
Co-organizer Morena McDonald said after several years of being cooped up due to the pandemic, everyone is excited for the summer market to return for its third year in Dresden.
“I think people have really felt like they’ve wanted to get out more this summer, especially now that things are pretty much fully opened,” she said. “A lot of our vendors, almost all of them, are small independent businesses or crafters and creators. They haven’t been able to sell at events consistently like they used to… They’re really eager to get back out there.”
The night market was initially created in 2017 by a small group of friends, including McDonald who added that it has become a signature event for the town during the holiday season and in the summer.
“I think that one of the mains draws is that it’s really a community event where we try to get as many people from the community involved as possible,” she said. “We love bringing the community together and seeing the town transform.”
This year, organizers are also taking a zero-waste approach to the night market by encouraging guests to bring their own reusable items, such as utensils, straws, napkins, and bags for shopping.
Guests will also be given one reusable cup at the pop-up bar, rather than single-use cups. The cup can be rinsed at stations set up in the area and then brought back to the pop-up bar to be refilled.
“I think a little bit of garbage isn’t avoidable but we’re trying to reduce as much waste as we can,” said McDonald. “It’s just one way we can try to reduce the amount of waste going to landfills.”
The Dresden Summer Night Market runs from 4 p.m. until 11 p.m. in the downtown area and will extend into Jackson Park. Vendors and community groups will have booths set up on Main Street and Brown Street.
