Local businesses gearing up for 'Vicky Day Weekend'

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The group responsible for organizing this month’s Victoria Day weekend celebrations are hoping to make the new event annual. 

Dubbed “Vicky Day Weekend,” the event will see visitors receiving “passports” at one of the more than 60 participating businesses and collecting stamps for prizes at the end. Each business is responsible for organizing its own unique offering, such as a special menu item, a pop-up event or a workshop, something out of the ordinary to attract visitors, who get stamps at the events to go into their passports. These are then put into a draw. Eight stamps equals a potential prize. 

Vicky Day Weekend culminates in an evening of live entertainment at the Area 506 Container Village where the prizes will be drawn. 

And as for shortening Queen Victoria’s name? Spokesperson Ray Gracewood said it was just a creative take on the holiday weekend. 

“We wanted to create something ownable, to make people feel a certain way about the Victoria Day weekend,” he said. “It takes it away from people setting up camp or working their lawn, and makes it about supporting local business, getting a bite to eat and enjoying some live music.” 

Whether it goes annual or not, he said, depends on how it goes. 

“I think it’s the kind of idea that local independent business entrepreneurs can get excited about,” he said. “It’s possible to create something out of very little and I think having a cool platform for us to work from puts us at a place where we can do something even better next year.” 

The core organizing group is made up of the owners of Tuck Studio, In Pursuit, Beer Bread Pizza and Area 506. They sent out emails to local businesses to gauge interest, and Gracewood, who is founder of Area 506, said they were amazed at the interest they received.

Tuck Studio owner Judith Mackin said in a release that she believes visitors to Saint John over the holiday weekend will be “blown away by the amazing experiences our local businesses can create.” 

Gracewood said each of the last couple of years have been better in terms of community involvement after the COVID-19 pandemic, and judging from last year’s numbers at the events at the Area 506 Container Village, they see no reason why the weekend won’t be a busy one this year. 

“Last summer we saw almost a half a million people come through the Container Village, record numbers for festival properties, and I really think people are excited to get out,” he told the Brunswick News. “I really believe the public is very interested so we’re very optimistic.” 

There will be live entertainment on tap at several locations throughout the weekend, including two Waterfront Concert Series shows at the Area 506 Container Village featuring Nova Scotia rockers Sloan on Friday and an ’80s dance party featuring Pretty in Pink. 

Vicky Day events run from May 16 to May 19.