Local success story: Ocala Downtown Market is thriving
Two years ago, when the pandemic overwhelmed the world and sent everyone into lockdown, open-air markets and venues like the Ocala Downtown Market struggled to stay afloat. Independent vendors depend on the revenue they make at these events. When Dawn Bowman took over management of it, she knew she had a challenge ahead of her.
“It (the market) was pretty much in the red when I took over,” she said. “The person who was in charge of it before me resigned suddenly, and there wasn’t time to hire someone new in time to train with her. So I volunteered as a sort of interim director, thinking I’d just get it on its feet to the end of the year until we could find the right person.”
That was in September 2020. Bowman and her team at the Ocala Metro Chamber and Economic Partnership (CEP) have since taken the Downtown Market from a venue of 26 vendors to over 100, and the crowds have increased exponentially.
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Over the past two years, the "interim" position has become a passion, as she helped transform what was previously a rather sleepy weekend diversion into a destination juggernaut, with an average of 5,000 people trekking into downtown Ocala every Saturday. Vendor booths fill the familiar corrugated-steel awning to near-bursting, flowing out onto the sidewalk and populating nearly the entire block.
Job 1: Check in with the vendors
One of her first priorities was to reach out to the current vendors, as well as vet and speak to prospective entrepreneurs, wheedling them to join and rebuilding the event one patient step at a time.
It took a lot of work, time and dealing with the occasional logistical snafu – such as when the water pipes needed replacing and she had to place vendors in “every grassy area we could find” – but they persevered. Bowman credits the vendors themselves for their loyalty and the market’s amazing turnaround.
“Most of the vendors were also working at other markets and fairs, so they helped spread the word about ours through word of mouth, references and social media,” she explained, adding that livestreams on platforms like Facebook were an integral part of promotions.
She would walk around interviewing shoppers and vendors, feature the musicians who came to play, and the vendors would then share her posts on their own platforms. In record time, the official market page went from 8,000 to over 20,000 followers and is still growing.
“They’re so willing to talk to customers about what they do and how they do it, because they’re really invested in this and care about it,” Bowman said. Many of the current vendors have been able to sustain and support themselves on the money they make at the Downtown Market and no longer have to travel to other locations to make ends meet.
“The orders (that) some of them get are enough for them not to have to run around doing multiple venues," Bowman said. "They can use that extra time to develop their businesses.”
Graduating from the market
Some of them have even grown to the point they’ve established themselves outside of the market. Soleil Bakery, for instance, started out at the market and eventually was so successful it now has a thriving store in downtown Ocala.
In addition to that, the market is now well out of the red and earning enough to pay Dawn, her assistant Lynn, the setup and breakdown crews, and even have money to pay the live entertainers.
“The musicians don’t make a lot of money, but they get tips and a lot of other offers to do gigs from coming here,” Bowman said. “Plus, Saturday mornings are usually free time for them, so it’s kind of a bonus way to make some money and get in front of people.”
Early wakeup call on Saturdays
Bowman herself is there at 6 a.m. every Saturday, helping get tents pitched and the street closed off, and she’s off and running for the rest of the day up to 4 p.m.
Then, after a day to rest, she’s right back at the office planning the following weekend’s activities. Right now they’re planning Christmas celebrations and looking at theme events for the upcoming year.
It’s a demanding job, and she has a full plate handling the market, working as a Realtor at Showcase Properties, and taking care of her horses. But after two years of hard-won success, she wouldn’t give it up for the world.
“What happened was that I fell in love with this market and the people, and I said, ‘Wait, I don’t really want you to find someone else!' ” she said with a laugh. “I mean, it’s a lot of work and it can be a real challenge at times, and I’m human. Some days I think, ‘I just can’t do this anymore.’"
“But then I’m right back there again Saturday morning, because I love what I do.”
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Ocala Downtown Market is the place to be Saturdays in Ocala, Florida
