Loon Day numbers down but still a big turnout

By TOM LAVENTURE

tlaventure@yourdailyglobe.com

MERCER, Wis. - The attendance was lower but vendors and organizers were still pleased with the turnout for the 40th annual Loon Day outdoor shopping event on Wednesday in Mercer.

As one of the region's only large scale activities that was not canceled due to coronavirus, the Mercer Area Chamber of Commerce Board decided to go ahead with a redesigned event as opposed to canceling.

Loon Day had 171 vendors and 225 booth spaces filled on Thursday, according to chamber staff who organized the event. Vendors noticed there were fewer people in attendance, but saw a steady number of shoppers during the day.

"This is our first year here so we can't compare it to before, but otherwise, we're doing pretty good," said Ken and Deb Shulfer of Stevens Point, who had the Countryside Gifts booth in Mercer on Wednesday. "Other vendors who have been here for years said it was slower but that it's still a good crowd."

The couple said they attend large shows all around Wisconsin. The pandemic this year has resulted in several cancelations.

The shoppers were also relieved to have an event to attend.

"They've done a great job of organizing this," said Patty Lightfield, of Winter, Wisconsin, who attended Loon Day with her husband Larry and Twinkle, their 9-year-old dog. "We are so grateful. We think that people are being respectful and wearing masks. I think they are spacing out the vendors and I think that helped. I actually like that better than when they are all squished together."

Rick and Aida Jackson of Pine Lake come to Loon Day every year. Rick said he is essentially a porter for when Aida's shopping bags start to accumulate.

"This is refreshing," Rick Jackson said. "It's almost better when it's not so crowded."

Hank Joustra, chamber president, said the event is ultimately about bringing a little "normalcy" back to the community that has pretty much been in coronavirus lockdown since March. The protocols included chalk arrows on the street to direct one-way guided pedestrian flow, 6-foot distancing between each vendor, the relocation of the food court, sanitation stations, available face masks and sanitizer, and moving the loon calling contest to a virtual event that was posted on the chamber Facebook page on Thursday.

"It's spread out a lot more," Joustra said. "The attendance is still coming and they are practicing social distancing."

There were compliments from the vendors and shoppers alike, he said. People were grateful to have a Loon Day, but also for having a safer event, he said.

"For a lot of them it's the first event of the year," he said. "There is a lot of positive feedback and they will definitely be back next year as well."

Kevin Sova, of Medford, brought his kettle corn and caramel corn booth to Loon Day to run with his wife, Laura, and daughter, Samantha. This was their third event of the summer, when they typically would be busy every weekend.

"There were a lot of cancelations of the craft shows," Kevin Sova said. "Mercer is very nice. It's a beautiful day and a beautiful place."

Matt Marohn of Appleton, brought his Log Artistry booth to Loon Day. They have attended several Loon Day events over the years but this was the first in two years.

He had attended sports shows during the winter but hasn't been out since the coronavirus shutdown orders, he said. Most of the other shows have been canceled, he said.

"It's a beautiful day and the people are out," Marohn said. "It's a little less than normal but it's still quite a few people."

The shoppers are following the arrows and going the way that they should, he said. The booth spacing has worked out well, he said.

Brenda McCutchin of Green Bay, attended her first Loon Day with her Korenie Seasoning & Spice Blends booth. Korenie is the Slovak word for spice.

"It's been pretty steady," McCutchin said. "It's a nice crowd and it's really nice to see people out and about."

Over in Green Bay there is a farmer's market that typically attracts 10,000 people each week, she said. The pandemic order has resulted in the market not even capturing the 600 people allowed with the crowd minimum orders, she said.

Some shoppers didn't want to comment because they said they were "playing hooky" from work. Others said they would like to have seen more vendors accept credit cards.

The chamber doesn't require vendors to use credit card payment methods but they do point out where all the ATMs are in town, said Melissa Biszak, executive director of the Mercer Area Chamber of Commerce. All in all the Loon Day was successful in that people were using the safety protocols, wearing masks and using sanitizer. More people are masked than are not, she said.

"They were having a good time the safe way," Biszak said.

The Loon Calling contest was recorded and posted on the chamber Facebook page on Thursday.

The next chamber event will be the first Fall Color Classic bike ride to see the fall colors on Sept. 19. The annual Pumpkin Run will be held Oct. 8-11.