The gates to the waterfront container village in uptown Saint John will open for its second season on Friday.
Ray Gracewood, president of AREA 506, said there is a lot of optimism and energy heading into opening weekend.
“We’ve got a whole lot of new vendors that have shown an awful lot of interest and bringing a new sense of energy, combined with some great vendors from last year,” Gracewood said in an interview.
Gracewood said the village is “pretty close” to being at capacity, with around 40 vendors signed up this year.
While there will be many familiar faces from last year, the village is also welcoming about a dozen new vendors this year.
“We think, year over year, it’s a great look for there to be a bit of surprise and delight so that when people come back, there’s something new for everybody,” said Gracewood.
Organizers have also expanded the site, focusing on adding more food and beverage options.
While the feedback about the food available at The Docks container lounge and at the viewing decks and patios was good, Gracewood said there were calls for different styles of food.
“This year, we have four container locations allocated specifically to food partners as well as food truck options,” he said.
The container village opens its doors for the season at 11 a.m. Friday. It will generally be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday, with extended hours for cruise ship visits.
The Docks container lounge will be open Wednesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
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