MY TURN: Street Fair: Year-round benefits for downtown
A recent letter to the editor raised concerns about the Downtown Coeur d’Alene Street Fair and its impact on downtown businesses. As the Coeur d’Alene Downtown Association and the organizer of the event, we appreciate feedback as we evaluate what is best for the majority of our downtown businesses and community. We evaluate the value of all our events, including Street Fair, how it supports the long-term health of downtown, what it offers our community and how it supports downtown stakeholders.
The DTA is a nonprofit organization formed by downtown stakeholders in 1989, dedicated to maintaining and enhancing the vibrancy, safety and economic vitality of downtown. DTA manages programs including beautification, maintenance and promotions. We also manage the Business Improvement District, which helps fund these essential services. Together, these programs create a welcoming and thriving downtown for businesses, residents and visitors.
The 33rd annual Street Fair is one of DTA’s 14 annual events organized to benefit downtown. These events are strategically designed to support a variety of business types by increasing direct sales, generating foot traffic or creating a strong sense of place for the community.
We evaluate our events by completing economic impact studies based on stakeholder and attendee feedback with the University of Idaho and post-event business surveys along with ongoing evaluation of our strategic plan.
This year, a few concerns were raised about the Street Fair and feedback solidified the event as a valuable part of downtown. U of I reported an economic impact of over $3 million from DTA’s main events in 2024. We recognize that no single event benefits everyone equally, but each plays an important role in the overall economy and culture of our downtown community.
Organized alongside Taste of CDA, Art on the Green and Street Fair collaborate to offer a free shuttle bus between events, ensuring attendees the opportunity to experience each unique offering. These three events, each fulfilling its own niche, bring an estimated 60,000 people downtown, over half of whom are reportedly local residents from the North Idaho/Spokane Region.
The DTA works to ensure Street Fair directly supports downtown businesses by providing free booth space nearest their storefront. For 2025, 40 downtown businesses participated and the DTA invested over $16,000 to support their involvement and maximize visibility.
Street Fair alone generates more than $1 million in sales, with most sales going to downtown businesses and North Idaho vendors. Many downtown businesses, even those without a booth, report their best sales weekends of the year, with increases 15%-40% compared to typical summer weekends.
Businesses that don’t see a direct sales bump benefit from the increased foot traffic it brings, creating a high-impact marketing opportunity. Many businesses report customers returning days later after first discovering them during the event. That kind of brand awareness, especially at no cost, is hard to replicate.
We recognize Street Fair may not feel beneficial for some businesses, and in a few cases, it may feel disruptive. That’s a reality with any large community event designed to support the collective good. Yet, many of the businesses that experience this still express their continued support, understanding that downtown is a shared public space, and that this event brings measurable value to downtown.
Finally, Street Fair is a critical part of how the DTA funds services that all downtown businesses enjoy. Booth fee revenues generated from outside vendors fund over 50% of DTA’s Clean and Safe Operations. Without Street Fair, basic services such as garbage and graffiti removal, snow plowing and power washing, weed abatement, flags, flowers and holiday lights would be at risk. For these services to remain without Street Fair, it would require significantly higher financial investment from downtown businesses.
Street Fair isn’t just about dollars, it’s about community. A thriving downtown is more than just a commercial area. It’s where the community comes together to connect. Events like Street Fair create free opportunities for families to spend time together, discover new businesses, and reinforce the idea that downtown belongs to everyone.
Street Fair is not without its challenges; no major event is. But when you look at what it enables, it is clear that it serves downtown Coeur d’Alene far beyond just a weekend. It generates funding for critical services, strengthens community identity, showcases local businesses, and fosters the kind of connections that only downtowns can offer.
The DTA remains committed to listening, adapting, and improving every event we host. Based on objective data and community and business feedback, we believe Street Fair remains a strong and valuable part of what makes downtown Coeur d’Alene the heart of this community.
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Emily Boyd is the executive director of the Coeur d’Alene Downtown Association.