Valley Public Market Closes After Two Weekends

The Spokane Valley Public Market has closed after just two weekends.

Competition from other events, bad weather and poor planning crippled the market, which opened May 30 and was to have operated on Fridays and Saturdays through the summer in the University City Shopping Center parking lot.

Market promoter Bruce Arndt blamed the closure on lack of vendors.

“Nobody showed up to set up, and we can’t get any exhibitors,” said Arndt. “I can’t afford to sit down here and waste my time waiting for exhibitors.”

The Valley market opened the same day as Cheney Cowles Museum’s popular annual ArtFest. Business at the market was slow that first Friday, and an afternoon thunderstorm the next day forced Arndt to close early.

Arndt tried again the next weekend, which also marked the opening of the Spokane MarketPlace at its new downtown location. But no vendors showed up Friday at the Valley market. The next day, a few vendors came, but business was dead.

Last Friday, Arndt was alone in the parking lot, removing the red promotional flags and calling it quits.

“I don’t think exhibitors want to do this anymore,” Arndt said. “There are a lot of major events vying for the same vendors.”

Arndt said he thought he could draw customers who were afraid to go downtown to the new Spokane MarketPlace at First and Jefferson.

“People from the general public are afraid to go downtown. It is not a pleasant place to be, especially for older people.” said Arndt. “They don’t like the gangs. You go downtown and see the graffiti there and it scares people.”

Spokane MarketPlace director Jackie Rappe said that’s not true.

“West First is a safe neighborhood,” Rappe said. “There’s 12,000 people that live here. Many of them are elderly, they stop in with their walkers and wheelchairs to visit and talk.”

The Spokane MarketPlace requires vendors to fill out an application calendar with the dates that they plan to participate.

The Valley market had no such requirement, so Arndt never knew who would show up on a given day.

Arndt said he handed out about 300 flyers, applications and made contacts with area farmers. He also signed a four-month lease to use a section of the parking lot at the University City.

Shauna Foss, marketing director for U-City, refused to comment.

Area vendors said the Valley is already brimming with the kind of merchandise Arndt planned to offer.

“It’s not like it used to be,” said Geri Manz, manager of Geri’s Collectibles on East Sprague, who has participated in ventures similar to Arndt’s. “Fruit markets are about three blocks apart here, and the market is saturated.”

Rick Phillips, manager of Farm Fresh Fruit, an outdoor produce stand at Sprague and Mullan, said he saw a lack of purpose behind Arndt’s project.

“There was a reason behind the Spokane MarketPlace, to teach farmers how to market their produce,” said Phillips, a Spokane MarketPlace founder. “(Arndt) doesn’t know what he’s trying to do.”

Arndt coordinated Riverfront Park’s arts and crafts vendors for six years in the mid 1980s, and has since developed trade shows in malls.

His original plan for the Valley market included ethnic food, arts and crafts, produce and baked goods.

, DataTimes