Marvest a musical wonderland – with benefits!

By Trevor Greenway

During the weekend of September 18-19 the Glebe was transformed into a musical wonderland with more than 60 local bands playing free live shows in both conventional and unconventional spaces.

The event, dubbed Marvest, brought visitors to the Glebe, put more feet on the street, put more shoppers in stores and, most importantly, animated the area to create something fun for our most important customers, our local residents.

Marvest is a perfect example of an event that balanced the needs of businesses with the vibrancy any wider community can enjoy. It helped merchants in the Glebe and provided something special for the local population to experience first hand.

“There were lots of people who actually hadn’t been in the store before and just stopped by because it was so easy to walk in, they didn’t have to make a commitment,” says Octopus Books owner Lisa Greaves, who hosted several Marvest shows in her small Third Avenue bookstore. She said more events like Marvest – that bring people into stores and give the local community a free outing – are what is needed to bring the business community and the residents together. She said Marvest was embraced by the local community and got “neighbours” into her store for the first time.

“It was amazing, because it was all sorts of people that I have seen walking up and down Third Avenue before that had never come in or we had never spoken to before,” added Greaves. “It was locals, but it wasn’t people I knew. It was nice to get to know some of the neighbours.”

The Glebe Business Improvement Area (BIA) is committed to championing these types of events, exciting activities that showcase the area in an authentic way, true to the character and personality of the neighbourhood we love. Whether it is through promotions, partnerships or programming, creative initiatives that take on a life of their own and create a great pedestrian experience and overall excitement, it is good for businesses and good for people.

“I believe our work over the next couple of years will contribute to the well-being of our businesses and the wider community equally. The loyalty of our local residents is strong and their sense of pride is unmatched – they’re our best customers. Our businesses benefit from this and it’s one of the main reasons why the Glebe is so special,” says Glebe BIA Executive Director Andrew Peck. “Our future investments in programming and on-street enhancements will only serve to enhance something great, a remarkable neighbourhood with a rich history and lots to enjoy.”

Aside from a few noise complaints, the response to Marvest from the local community was overwhelmingly positive, according to Christine McAllister from the Glebe Community Association. She said free daytime events for all the busy families in the Glebe are what make the difference between a good community and a great one. “Events that have something for everybody, in particular families where people can bring their kids and the kids have something to do along Bank Street, are important,” says McAllister.

She added that most people choose to live in the Glebe because it has a bit of a European culture, where residentss can do all their shopping locally for fresh goods they will cook up later that night. Having things for their kids to do during these errand-running times are what families really need. “For Glebe residents – we do tend to gravitate towards doing our shopping in the Glebe. I think it’s a prime reason people move to the neighbourhood,” added McAllister. “A parent can always sort of bribe their kids to go shopping with them if there is something for the kids to do.”

Another great example of programming that engages the community is the Glebe Spree, the contest that puts a $10,000 shopping spree into the hands of a lucky shopper. The contest is set to start again this November but is being reimagined to create even more excitement for those who participate. The last three contests have been won by Glebe residents, not surprisingly given the number of entries that come from the Glebe.

“We all love the Glebe Spree contest I just wish I could win,” joked McAllister.

The Glebe BIA is in the midst of planning and exploring a number of fun new initiatives to support its businesses, attract new customers, and engage and involve its best patrons close to home. If you have suggestions, ideas or would like to provide us with feedback, please feel free to send us your thoughts at info@intheglebe.ca. We’d love to hear from you.

Trevor Greenway is responsible for communications at the Glebe Business Improvement Area.