Big crowds are expected along Commercial St. on Thursday, June 13 for the first Night Market of the season. (File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

downtown summer market

Nanaimo’s downtown comes alive with the start of Commercial St. Night Market

Jun 13, 2024 | 5:30 AM

NANAIMO — It’s one of the official signs of summer in the Harbour City; the first evening of the Commercial St. Night Market.

The annual summer market which shuts down stretch of Commercial St. and some side streets every Thursday evening starts again Thursday, June 13, and runs until Aug. 22.

Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce CEO Corry Gervais said planning for this year’s Night Market began right after the 2023 edition ended.

“We get together with the vendors, we talk to our sponsors and we find out what they’d like to see and what their wish list is and this year we had a list of things that we wanted to see at the night market and we’re going to put them into play this year. So we’re pretty excited about that.”

New this year is an ‘inclusive space’ on the second floor of the downtown Vancouver Island Public Library branch, a quiet zone for anyone who needs a rest or may feel overstimulated.

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Much of Diana Krall Plaza will be converted into a music main stage with festival seating, while two other smaller stages will be stationed by the Museum and near Bastion St.

Gervais told NanaimoNewsNOW the multiple-stage set-up will allow for more room for spectators to relax and enjoy the shows.

“It does open it up for a few more vendors but we really wanted to give people a space to sit and listen to the music. So we’ll have the tables out there, the same as we did last year but a few more.”

Around 150 vendors from all over Vancouver Island will line Commercial St. with over a hundred more on a waiting list to participate in the popular market, which Gervais said attracted around 75,000 people last year.

“We do have some new vendors that you have to come down to the market to see who they are!”

Featured at the June 13 event will be Craig the Magician, performing at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the stage set-up at the entrance of Diana Krall Plaza.

Free parking is available at the Bastion Street Parkade and at street level around the market, and dogs are also welcome as long as they remain on a leash.

More information on the Commercial St. Night Market is available on the Chamber’s website.

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