Fall event brought business into Sisters shops and eateries

The Harvest Faire is gone, and the flow of tourists to Sisters has diminished to its traditional winter trickle.

Business was better for most local shops during the Harvest Faire, but there were some exceptions and even some internal disagreements on the effect of the event on the local economy.

"It doesn't do anything for my business, but it is good for Sisters," said Mayor Brad Boyd, who owns Eurosports. However, the clerk behind the Eurosports counter disagreed with him saying: "Last Saturday there were only five people in the shop all day long. This Saturday it has been a constant stream. There was a big difference. The event has really brought a lot of people in."

Businesses along Hood Avenue that cater primarily to tourists had a much healthier trade than normal.

"It was a real good weekend for us," said Bob Petersen of The Paper Place. "The fair brings a lot of people to town, and once they are walking around they explore, and that is good for the local businesses. The weather was good, although often when the weather is bad business is better. The closure of the street helps too, as people are walking around and they will stop in if they are walking. When people are driving by, it is much harder to get them to stop and come in."

For some businesses, the event has provided a consistent draw over the years, and many of the visitors have become regulars.

"It seems like people who once come to Harvest Faire will then come every year. It doesn't matter if the weather is good or bad, they just keep coming back. We see the same faces every year, and once they are here walking around they shop," said Nancy Tripp, co-owner of Out West Designs.

Some local businesses weren't sure it was just the crowd attending the Harvest Faire that was the key to an increase in business. These people felt the closure of Hood Avenue also played an important role. "We had a very good weekend. It was a combination of factors. The closure of the street helped some. We had a lot of people who came in who weren't here for the Harvest Faire, but when they can't drive down the street they will tend to walk around and explore more. When there are cars streaming by, it doesn't encourage walking," said Adora Hitchcock of Bedouin.

Local shops that are not tourist oriented had a slightly different experience when it came to the bottom line for the weekend.

Rick Murray, co-owner of The Pony Express, put forth his idea of why there was little positive effect from the fair.

"Business is a little slower for us during events like the Harvest Faire. We are not a tourist business, and when there are big crowds in town the locals tend to stay away," he said.

Shops that were not in the proximity of the fair also experienced an increase over the weekend and attributed it to a number of different factors.

"Business was better than normal over the Harvest Faire weekend, and that is the norm," said John Leavitt of Leavitt's. "The weather has an effect on the local businesses. What works best for local business is when it is perfect weather on Thursday and Friday which motivates people to come over from the valley and then it rains on Saturday which causes the tourists to spend time in the local businesses."

Some of the local shopkeepers think that a little variety in the venue might help to add to the overall draw to local business.

"I think that the chamber should consider closing Main (Avenue) and having the event there on occasion. There are businesses on that street too, and that would bring the tourists to different parts of town, and perhaps they might explore some of the other businesses. It would be good to at least try it and see if it spreads the tourist trade around a little," said Leavitt.