By Staff
Mild temperatures were unsuccessful in playing havoc with the ninth annual Dowagiac Ice Time Festival of Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce, which witnessed a steady flow of local and day visitors to the central business district.
Retail sales struck an all-time high at specialty shops and restaurants for a winter's afternoon.
Vickie Phillipson, program director of the Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Development Authority, said Tuesday the eight specialty shops that participated in the festival's second-annual Winter Hibernation and Pajama Sale reported an overwhelmingly, strong response.
The Pajama Sale, as many are now calling it, has seemingly become an event in itself.
inventory map of Saturday's desired buys."
piles of merchandise stashed behind display counters, where shoppers
mid-week had hidden their desired purchases for Saturday morning,"
Phillipson said. "Only a true bargain hunter can understand this clever
strategy, which certainly illustrates the anticipation and excitement that
the Ice Time Festival's Winter Hibernation Sale brought to our community."
In addition to the pajama-wearing customers and members of the Red Hat
Society, who were sited on Front Street festival day, Bill Livingston,
chairman of the Downtown Development Authority, also noted the many
unfamiliar faces he saw downtown. "This, again, was a testament to the
success of our ninth-annual winter arts festival, which drew hundreds of
day-visitors to our community," Phillipson said.
enjoy our central business district is one thing. However, when similar
ice-carving events are now held in such neighboring communities as St.
Joseph, Niles, Coldwater, Watervliet and South Haven, it's a real testament
to The Grand Old City and to the efforts of the Chamber of Commerce and the
Downtown Development Authority, that the Dowagiac Ice Time Festival
continues to be successful in luring day-visitors to our community from all
parts of southwestern Michigan, northern Indian and even the
surrounding-Chicago communities."
Larry Seurynck, co-owner of Wood Fire Italian Trattoria, reported Monday
that on festival day his Front Street restaurant experienced its busiest
day-time sales volume ever. Likewise, just around the corner, Tom Burling,
co-owner of Beeson Street Grill, said his staff was nearly unprepared for
the volume of clientele that it serviced Saturday, as Wounded Minnow Saloon
remained standing-room-only late into the afternoon.
Phillipson said the professional Chili Cook-off, which was won by Beeson
Street Grill, also illustrated the ability of Ice Time to draw day-visitors
to The Grand Old City. Of the 313 ballots that were cast, 111 represented
individuals from 28 outlying communities, spanning as far away as Portage
and Allegan in Michigan, to Bristol and Indianapolis, Indiana; and Highland
Park, Illinois.
despite the spring-like temperature, it was our goal to bring local and
day-visitors to Dowagiac," Phillipson said. "The winter arts festival, as
well as the Chamber's other seasonal events, are economic-builders for our
entire community. Certainly the reports provided by our restaurants and
specialty shops are evidence of a job well done by festival organizers,
corporate sponsors and the many business sponsors of our single-block ice
carvings. Dowagiac Ice Time, which represented a $9,000 investment in our
community, was, indeed, money well spent."
Jim Frazier, owner of Vincent J. Jewelers, who served as Ice Time's event
chairman during its first six years, said Monday, "where else can a merchant
spend $100 in advertising and bring hundreds of people to his doorstep?"
Phillipson said the 51 businesses that sponsored single and multi-block
carvings paid $100 for each of their 440-pound ice blocks, which covered the
cost of purchasing the ice and the $35 per diem that was paid to the carver.
The ninth-annual event was organized by Event Chairman Dr. Timothy Dowsett,
vice president of the Chamber of Commerce and owner of Dowsett Chiropractic
Health Center, with the assistance of Vickie Phillipson, along with Paul
Potter of Image Specialties; Gail West of Wolverine Mutual Insurance Co.;
Patti Badner of the Guy Eby Insurance Agency in Cassopolis; Patty Booth of
Booth's Country Florist; Carolyn and Ken Schutter, owners of Mr. K's
Wearhouse &Embroidery; Sandy Krager, Chamber president; and the 2005 Court
of the Miss Dowagiac Scholarship Pageant.
Corporate sponsors of the 2005 festival were: Harding's Friendly Market,
Dowagiac Area Federal Credit Union, Dowsett Chiropractic Health Center and
Southwestern Michigan College, with minigrant funding provided by the Arts
Council of Greater Kalamazoo through the Michigan Council of Arts &Cultural
Affairs.