I hope this letter finds everyone safe and healthy! I wanted to take a few minutes to give you some updates on the Gulfport Merchants Chamber.
Last month we shared news about the cancellation of Gecko World, and as a community I think we are all feeling the disappointment with no Gecko World in 2020, but safety and health come first.
Tuesday Market
On social media, we’ve had questions regarding Gulfport Tuesday Fresh Market and its future. With any of our events, we are working together with the City of Gulfport and constantly discussing how and when to safely bring back our events. And the truth is, when it is safe again, or we develop a safer way to hold the market again, we will bring it back. We also learned Wednesday night that Susan Blankenship, market manager, has resigned. She’s accepted a full-time job and everyone at the Gulfport Merchants Chamber wishes her well in her new endeavors.
Art Walks
Last year we announced the revamping of our first Friday and third Saturday Art Walks and throughout COVID-19 we’ve kept moving forward with our plans. We are working closely with city officials to launch a safe and exciting First Friday Art Walk that represents the abundance of talent in our arts community and brings visitors to our restaurants and businesses. And we’re excited to introduce you to our new third Saturday event, Gulfport’s Third Saturday IndieFaire. We have a great committee working on it and while it will have some exciting differences from our previous Saturday market, we do know that event will have tents on the pavers. Look for an announcement on the return of these two events soon.
We’re also working with the City of Gulfport on a marketing campaign to showcase our wonderful town and bring people back to our streets safely.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want every business — and everyone in our community — to know we’re in constant talks about how we can best support our small businesses, and looking for programs and financial support to help our businesses. Please feel free to reach out to any of the board of directors with any questions or concerns. Email us anytime at gmc@visitgulfportflorida.com. First and foremost, we are here for you!
Sincerely,
Barbara Banno, President,
Gulfport Merchants Chamber
