It’s my understanding that unless you are someone like Gram’s Ice Cream (and oh, how so many of us love Gram’s Ice Cream) on State Street in Newburyport, MA, or an eatery on the “main drag,” that festivals and yes, even Yankee Homecoming can be very hard on our local businesses.

In the Newburyport Daily News on August 1, 2006 the Firehouse Center for the Arts basically talks about the fact that they “essentially have to shut down” for the nine days of Yankee Homecoming. Not good for business. And my impression is that the Firehouse is far from alone.

When I peek in stores downtown during these events, the local businesses appear to me to be woefully empty. The local clientele seems to stay home, far away from the maddening crowd. So poof, those customers are gone. And our visitors seem to be intent on buying food or merchandise from folks on the street, they do not seem intent on wandering into our various and sundry local establishments.

It’s my recollection that even the sidewalk sales sometimes can be somewhat of a burden. Extra help is often needed and it is my impression that merchants are often lucky if they are able to break even.

Over the years I’ve gotten to like Yankee Homecoming. I even look forward to it. (I used to moan and want to leave town.) But the celebration does take its toll, so one can hardly blame the Firehouse when they wanted to take advantage of their terrific view of the waterfront stage. It seemed like a good idea to me (no I did not go.)

The fact that our small seaport city has such a remarkable theatre, one would hope, would create a sense of pride. And what a lovely bookend that theater is to the waterfront itself. And its very existence, for me, adds to the whole experience of going to the waterfront concerts, even being down at the waterfront itself.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport