The Future of the Festival Marketplace
The Festival Marketplace is a European-style shopping experience that includes boutiques, perfume outlets and dozens of clothing stores. Shoppers can also find beauty products, jewelry and home furnishings at this popular Florida shopping destination. The Festival Marketplace is a great place to find brand name items at bargain prices and has become one of the most popular places to shop in Pompano Beach, FL.
The festival marketplace was a concept developed by James Rouse and the Rouse Company in the 1970s as a way to revitalize downtown areas. It was a popular urban renewal strategy in the United States at a time when large suburban strip malls were being blamed for exacerbating deterioration in older urban core areas.
Rouse and his company had been developing planned communities, but the festival marketplaces were designed to tackle some of the inner city problems their work had been accused of escalating, including crime, drug trafficking, urban decay and declining local retail businesses. They were also intended to bring shoppers into downtowns to replace the patrons who had been leaving town for malls and out-of-town shopping centers.
But the success of festival marketplaces turned into a major problem for many downtowns. They became places where concert vendors could show their wares, but also created a competition for brands that wanted to advertise at concerts and cast wide ad campaign nets. The result was that smaller, local and regional retailers were pushed out of the space as national chains like Starbucks and Hooters moved in. The local flavor and charm of the festival marketplace was lost in the process.
Today, the festival marketplace has morphed into a kind of open-air shopping center that caters to the needs of a particular demographic. Often, this is young people looking for inexpensive, trendy clothing and accessories. It is a way for them to get their fix of the latest fashion trends, and to be part of an atmosphere that is more youthful and contemporary. In the end, the festival marketplace has become a destination that is geared towards younger people who want to feel connected to the current social, cultural and political landscape.
As the Festival Marketplace continues to evolve, many local retailers and artists are wondering how the event will impact them in the future. While some are hopeful the changes will be for the better, others are more skeptical. One thing is clear, the festival marketplace will continue to be a popular shopping destination and will likely continue to draw people from across the region to its stalls. It is a place to buy unique gifts and clothing, to support the arts, and enjoy a festive atmosphere. It is a fun place to spend a day with friends or family.