Merchants Relish Art Of Earning The Bucks Annual Art Show, Street Fair A Surefire Moneymaker

The throngs expected to tromp through Art on the Green this weekend ensure a healthy rate of ringing at Sherman Avenue merchants’ cash registers.

But a few newcomers among the merchants are always surprised at the success of the art festival and accompanying street fair.

When David Hunt of Kootenai Kayaks Inc. hauled his boats down to the street fair last year, he and his partners were a little skeptical.

“We wondered if the people were really going to kick some tires and buy a canoe or two,” he said. “But the first day we sold three or four boats and a couple thousand dollars in accessories. It was great.”

Other business owners have it down to a science.

Sun-drenched shoppers crowded three tables touting $2, $3 and $4 shirts outside Talkin’ Tees on Sherman Avenue. Marty Petersen said that Art on The Green has grown so large that it and the street fair have merged into one big mass of potential business.

“We’ve been doing this for 18 years, and we do some of our best business this weekend,” Petersen said.

“I guess we see some different kinds of shoppers from the Art on the Green, and that’s good,” he said.

Jennifer Prince of Cast & Blast on Sherman said she learned a lot about how to work the sidewalk sale from last year, when the business first opened.

“We realized we needed these cabanas for some shade, a little indoor-outdoor carpeting on the pavement and some more fun signs on our merchandise,” she said. “I think we’ve pretty much got this down to a science.”

Prince decided to sell more shirts and accessories with the Cast & Blast logo this year to promote her Coeur d’Alene and Hayden Lake shops. “We like the name recognition, and this is a great way to do it.”

Streets were clogged Friday afternoon as the temperatures soared, helping restaurants like Spooners and packing people into the airconditioned Wine Cellar for lunch.

Over at Wilson’s Variety shop on Sherman, Marie Edinger rang up sales of books, arts and crafts. “The best thing about this sale is that I get to see shoppers that I don’t see any other time of the year,” she said. “It’s a lot of fun.”

Plus, the street fair also provides a great opportunity for businesses to move inventory and clear the shelves.

“It gives us a chance to get everything new in here,” said Petersen of Talkin’ Tees.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 Color photos