HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2017-10-19, Page 10PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2017.
Blyth businesses have landmark days during festival
among our best days ever at the store
and it was a record breaker for
numbers."
Both Part II Bistro's presence on
the grounds and the downtown
storefront had steady business
throughout Saturday, Gusso said,
and on Sunday the storefront
welcomed many people who
planned to be at the event.
"It was busy on Sunday," he said.
"We still had some Festival
stragglers coming through. They
were disappointed that the event did
get cancelled, but, if you went down
there and saw the event space with
the porta-potties on the ground and
tents blowing in the wind, the right
decision was made."
Gusso said he loved the event and
he heard from other businesses in
town that they experienced similar
booms in customers and sales.
Bev Elliott of Maple and Moose
(or Magical Moose as it was called
for the weekend) said she saw wall-
to-wall festival participants in the
store through the weekend both for
the scavenger hunts. which led
people downtown, as well as buying
memorabilia.
Magically Canadian
The Maple and Moose, or, the Magical Moose, as it was known over the weekend when Blyth
hosted the Festival of Wizardry, was one of the many businesses in the village that reported
great days thanks to the influx of thousands attending the village. The Queens Bakery, Part II
Bistro and Stitches with a Twist all reported record days. (Denny Scott photo)
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
The Festival of Wizardry took
place at the Blyth Campground over
the weekend and resulted in
significant foot traffic in the village's
downtown core.
Several business representatives
reported having the best sales days
they have ever experienced as a
result of the increased population of
the village as more than 6,000
people attended the Festival.
The Queens Bakery had an
`unbelievable' day on Saturday
according to co-owner Les Cook.
"We didn't know what to expect
but it could not have been any
better," he said. "We couldn't believe
the numbers and there was nothing
anyone could have done to make it
better."
Sunday was also a good day for
the business as it stayed open for
visitors to the Festival who either
hadn't realized the event was
cancelled due to weather or were
making the best of their day.
"It wasn't the same as Saturday,
but it was a better -than -average day
that's for sure. There were a lot of
sad people, not mad, but sad people
who were upset they couldn't attend
the event but they were very
appreciative of the village's efforts"
Cook said he took stock of the
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weekend on Sunday night and
determined they could not have
squeezed any more people in to the
restaurant for the event.
"It was great for both sides of the
counter," he said.
Irene Kellins of Stitches with a
Twist (which became Witches with a
Twist for the weekend) said she also
had a great weekend.
"What we had was absolutely
amazing," she said. "We retailers did
well and people were commenting
on our involvement."
Kellins said she was cleared out of
every wizard -themed item she
carried for the event and that the
store had its best day since it opened
just over five years ago.
"I've had good days before, but
this outreached them all by half," she
said. "We were wall-to-wall from
9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday."
She said she hopes the event runs
again next year and has already
started planning.
"If people thought the downtown
businesses were involved this year,
they won't believe what we can do
given a full year to get ready," she
said.
Peter Gusso of Part II Bistro had a
two -fold experience with the event,
hosting guests at his restaurant as
well as having a booth at the
grounds.
"It was amazing and
unbelievable," Gusso said. "It was
@at o gadmelt
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The eye of the nation
The Festival of Wizardry, put on by Transfigured Town Inc.,
brought national television channels and news media to
Blyth over the weekend. On Saturday, along with the over
6,000 ticket holders, television hosts like Morgan Hoffman
of The Space Channel, left, attended, showing Canada and
the world what Blyth was hosting. Hoffman is shown here
interviewing Transfigured Town CEO Nathan Swartz and
his wife and COO Amada. (Denny Scott photo)
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