Economic Development News |
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From Our Executive Director |
Throughout this pandemic, our community has been committed to supporting local businesses. It is so much more than shopping at your local grocery store. It’s actively being involved within your community and showing up when businesses need your support the most. It also means making hard decisions to make sure our community stays safe. We're in a place now where we have to find ways to balance those tasks.
We are thrilled to see many of the local events and fairs returning after a year of not having them. We were, ourselves, excited to host Lemonade Day -- one of our favorite annual community activities. Given the recent local surge in cases, we made the very tough decision that is is not in the best interest of our youngest entrepreneurs to expose themselves by opening their businesses to the general community. Our plan is to return next year.
Until then, look for ways to support our local small entrepreneurs at a variety of fun, outdoor events. Stay safe, shop local. We're STILL in this together.
-- Ross
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Lemonade Day Cancelled This Year |
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After much discussion, AEDC has decided to cancel Lemonade Day in 2021.
The event, which teaches participants about setting goals and entrepreneurship, was scheduled for August 14th. Participants, ages 6 to 16 would have been able to open their own business anywhere in Humboldt County (with permission of the property owners). In the past, those businesses have been as creative as the entrepreneurs that started them. From creative flavors for their lemonade, to expanded product lines, to creative marketing, like performing a theme song for the stand or including a petting zoo next to the stand, the event is an experience that each participant individualizes to their own style. This is what makes Lemonade Day special. That also provides additional risk since it provides very little opportunity for safety protocol oversight.
This year we're facing the largest number of COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, and children under 12 (the majority of our participants) are not yet eligible for the vaccine. Because of this, despite the outdoor nature of the event, we have decided that we do not want to take that risk and expose children to the virus. We cannot wait to have a year when we can again promote this fun and educational event. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
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Support Local with your Summer Fun! |
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The summer season is important for so many of the local businesses around here. It’s during this time of the year that we get to see both tourists and locals, all from different places, enjoying the beauty that Humboldt has to offer. Helping local businesses now will help them stay afloat all year round.
Fun Ways to Support Local:
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The Eureka Friday Night Market is back for its third season starting on August 6th at 5:30 in a brand new location - Madaket Plaza at the foot of C Street on Eureka’s beautiful waterfront. Enjoy the farmers market, arts and craft vendors, a bar featuring the best of Humboldt produced beverages, food trucks and pop-up food vendors, and live music for dancing.
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Look up what day of the week your local Farmer’s Market is, and enjoy the freshest fruits and vegetables, humanely raised meats and eggs, honey, jams, flowers, plant starts and so much more.
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Spend the day at the Del Norte County Fair on August 5th through the 8th, from live music, vendors, fair food, baking competitions, and games there’s surely something for everyone to enjoy.
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Stroll through the streets of downtown Crescent City every first Friday of the month from 5:00-7:30 pm. Enjoy live music, kids’ activities, in-store specials, food trucks/food vendors, local brews, book signings, live performance art, dance, and artisans.
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The Mendocino Art Center offers you a first-time opportunity: come Paint in Paradise this summer. Reserve your art studio today, from 2 weeks to 4 months (available June 1 through September 30), on the beautiful MAC campus just steps from the sea bluff.
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On the last Saturday of every month, stroll through the town of Trinidad during Trinidad Art Nights, for local art, music, dancing, and more.
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Attend the events thrown by your local Chambers’ of Commerce (Del Norte, Arcata, Eureka, Mckinleyville, Fortuna, Ferndale, Garberville, Trinidad)
Many of our businesses in the Redwood Region depend on the summertime and the traffic it brings. So, next time you’re out and about, consider how you can support our local economy.
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Recipe for Success: Crescent City Economic Development Strategic Action Plan |
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Like most small towns on the North Coast, Crescent City is bursting with potential and the community is hungry to elevate itself to a new level. This is occurring simultaneously with the unprecedented challenges and impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic. This unusual intersection of ambitious optimism and unexpected trials presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the community to respond, rebound, renew, regenerate, and reinvent itself. The timing is perfect for an Economic Development Strategic Action Plan.
In partnership with Rob Holmlund, AICP (Planwest Partners) the City took a unique approach, structuring their Economic Plan to resemble a “cookbook” with the projects presented as “recipes.” Like the recipes in a cookbook, the projects can be “prepared” independent of one another as the desire or opportunity arises. While specifically designed for Crescent City, these “recipes” provide step-by-step instructions to guide any community towards economic prosperity.
The recipes are divided into sections, including:
- Strategies to build a unified economic development team
- Systems for data gathering and analysis
- Guidelines to simplify and streamline regulations
- Strategies to attract and stimulate housing development
- Approaches to create jobs
- Priorities for infrastructure as economic development
- Plans for beautification and tourism attraction
- Tactics for downtown enhancement and revitalization
You can watch Rob Holmlund’s presentation to the Crescent City Council here.
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Arcata Economic Development Corporation
Fax: (707) 798-6130
Tel: (707) 798-6132
707 K Street, Eureka, CA 95501
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