The Sunday event led to the highest levels of foot traffic ever experienced inside the mall development, marking a period of over 5 years since the one-time controversial small town commercial real estate project broke ground in early 2008. It led to record sales levels for the majority of the small business merchants who have sacrificed their entire livelihoods to surviving and finally seeing the day in which one of the most beautifully designed boutique malls in California would be flooded with consistent levels of foot traffic.
Katelyn Mullins, Owner of Aqua Beauty Lounge, said "Sundays at Harbor Village will never be the same".
The Year Round Land and Sea Farmers Market will feature an Outside Certified Farmers Market, Mobile Petting Zoo, Indoor Artisan Fair, Educational Activities, Music, Entertainment, Monthly Cooking Classes and Demonstrations, Exhibits, and other Seasonal themes.
While millions of people flock to pillar point harbor every year strongly driven by seafood tourism, the Indoor Mall portion of the Harbor Village development located across from the busy Marina still has remaining spaces that have never been leased out, despite current lease rates offered at $1.00 PSF for class-A retail waterfront space. For a Mall development project which was 110% leased out with an original pro-forma of $3.00+ PSF prior to the breakdown of global finance markets in 2008, the delays with the nearly 30-year $440 Million Dollar Highway Tunnel project (finally expected to open in the next year) have not helped much either.
However, the Land and Sea Farmers Market taking place every Sunday from now until infinity provided a foreshadow into the future of what California's most undiscovered Marinas may look like over the years to come.
In terms of long-term potential the Farmers Market and Harbor Village mixed-use development (Oceano Hotel and Spa, Crab Landing Restaurant, Mezza Luna Cafe, Harbor Village Event Center and The Shops at Harbor Village) combination was described by many seasoned vendors selling at the event Sunday as having the potential to offer a truly unique and boutique version of the Ferry Building farmers markets experience that is offered in San Francisco.
However, with Harbor Village offering Free Parking and being walking distance to the world famous Mavericks Surf Spot, Coastal trail, Top Rated Dining and Fresh Seafood, and other close by Eco-Tourism options, the Land and Sea Farmers Market at Harbor Village is destined to rival the Ferry Building Farmers Market on many other levels. Harbor Village Property Manager Dave Seaton Said "I have been to over 50+ farmers markets over the past 6 months in California analyzing the success factors of each market. If the Ferry building is defined as Northern California's most successful farmers market, then Harbor Village is Northern California's 2nd best farmer's market location sites".
As U.S consumers continue to be defined by eco-conscious and hyper-local buying trends the Pop-Up Shop Style Events taking place every Sunday at Harbor Village provide Bay Area consumers access to local Farmers, Artisans and other Bay Area Entrepreneurs whom would otherwise be difficult to access or unreachable all together.
The Land and Sea Farmers Market at Harbor Village is put on by the Non-Profit Harbor Village Merchant Association (HVMA), a group made up of the small businesses inside the Harbor Village Mall and around the Harbor Village development. Based on the turnout of people showing up to the inaugural event the group proved the power of what can be accomplished with limited financial resources.
Other than the administrative costs required to organize the farmers market, a small marketing budget used at Vistaprint.Com and the costs for their logo which was completed with the help of hundreds of designers around the world at 99designs.com, the group had very few financial resources to launch the inaugural event. They used Facebook and other social media platforms, along with Hand Made Signs and 100's of Free Craigslist.com postings in a variety of different sections seeking to obtain vendors and market the event to the public.
Mike Seaton, President of the Harbor Village Merchant Association and owner of HMB Taffy, said "We conceived it, we believed in it, and on Sunday we were able to achieve a huge goal".
The Land & Sea Farmers Market
270 Capistrano Road
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
Hours: 10:00am - 3:00pm
http://harborvillagefarmersmarket.blogspot.com/
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