The abundance of local vendors, businesses and venues allows Niagara to host many farmers’ market-style events, but one organizer says it may come at the expense of quality experiences.

Christine Heather is the founder of Events Connected Canada, an event-coordinating business, and organized the Sweet and Savoury Summerfest at Lakeview Wine Co.

She said it can be difficult to attract guests when numerous functions are being run at the same time.

“I love putting (events) together, I love it if it turns out well and you have enough vendors attending,” Heather said.

“But the markets have been really saturated this year, so it’s been hard to get vendors.”

The cost to run an event is typically covered by the vendors’ fees, so a lack of vendors means there is less spending room for other features, such as music and inflatables.

For organizers, an event’s success is measured in both attendance and vendor satisfaction.

If a small business takes time to prepare extra inventory, a booth and transportation and does not perform well enough in sales, it can be disheartening, Heather explained.

And even with advertising, whether through road signs or social media, other events will be following the same practice, which can lead to multiple functions with low attendance, she added.

“I try everything I can … But I can’t force people to come out,” Heather said.

One vendor at the Summerfest event was the Niagara-based Who Cut The Cheese… Boards???, which sells handcrafted wood products, such as charcuterie boards and dog bowl stands.

The owners, Darrell and Karen Crumb, said they have attended four of Heather’s events and found last Saturday’s to be surprisingly quiet.

“Successful to me is if you get a big turnout,” Darrell said. “For what we sell, probably 90 per cent of the comments I hear are, ‘They’re very lovely but I already have one.’”

The couple said that because most communities have begun to host markets, the industry may be being spread too thin.

“Every little town or city has a market now,” Karen said. “The ‘Buy Canadian’ thing is great, but still, people only have so many bucks to spend.”

The business was asked to take part in the market at the winery because of the relationship between charcuterie boards and wine, said Darrell.

But the venue chosen for an event may pose challenges.

“The majority of people here come for the wine tasting, and then they’ll come here as a secondary thing,” he said.

While the rise in opportunities to show off products can be a positive effect, the risk of low attendance could be a deterrent for potential vendors.

“The oversaturation is kind of a hit and miss,” Darrell said.

As the summer comes to an end, local vendors begin to anticipate the holiday season.

The Crumbs and Heather said it is the most popular time of year for markets.

“When we start doing November and December, it’s way better,” Heather said. “But it all depends on what they sell. Not everybody wants what you have.”

Despite the challenges, Heather said she enjoys seeing any number of individuals support local businesses, and hopes to continue creating events to support vendors and customers.