Destination Caldwell Hosted 315 Events and Activities at Indian Creek Plaza in 2019 and Downtown Caldwell Sees 39% Increase in Foot Traffic
Caldwell, Idaho – Destination Caldwell, the non-profit that manages Indian Creek Plaza, delivers more than double the event and activities promised to the City of Caldwell in 2019.
The Memorandum of Understanding between Destination Caldwell and the City of Caldwell to manage and operate Indian Creek Plaza states the organization is to produce 150 events and activities annually. In 2019, the organization exceeded this agreement by hosting a total of 315 events and activities, including 13 large concerts and festivals, an 18-week concert and farmers’ market series, 88 days of ice skating and 25 venue rentals for other organizations events. Some activities provided by Destination Caldwell at the plaza in 2019 include Tai Chi classes, story time, and games such as corn hole, ping pong and life-size checkers.
Destination Caldwell estimated that 200,000 people were drawn to downtown Caldwell specifically to participate in events, activities, or ice skate on Idaho’s only ice ribbon in 2019. The annual traffic on the 7th Street pedestrian bridge, tracked by the Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho (COMPASS), saw traffic increase to 395,144 bridge crossings in 2019, up 39% from 283,766 in 2018.
“It’s exciting for us to smash expectations and deliver on promises we made to the community, but we are not done,” said Keri Smith-Sigman, CEO of Destination Caldwell. “We’re adding more events to our lineup in 2020 and expect the awareness of downtown Caldwell to continue to increase as more merchants and restaurants open and as people experience the electric atmosphere of downtown Caldwell.”
In addition to Destination Caldwell’s events at Indian Creek Plaza, the organization saw increased traffic during the Winter Wonderland Light Display hosted by the City of Caldwell. In December 2019, the monthly traffic across the pedestrian bridge was 144,978, an increase of nearly 55% over December 2018’s 93,716 crossings.
“The partnership between the City and Destination Caldwell has seen unprecedented success. The number of events hosted at Indian Creek Plaza over the last year and the resulting impact on downtown Caldwell has been extraordinary,” said Garrett Nancolas, Mayor of Caldwell. “People now travel to Caldwell to experience all that we have to offer and it’s been wonderful to see the community thriving as a result.”
The downtown Caldwell revitalizations and Destination Caldwell’s success in attracting visitors to the Indian Creek district and has enticed 10 new businesses to open in downtown in 2019, including the Chop Shop, a barbecue restaurant featuring locally sourced ingredients.
“We love the way Caldwell is designing it’s downtown to be a community-oriented, family-focused centralized location. There is great opportunity and potential in that, and that’s why I picked Caldwell,” said Chef and Owner of Chop Shop, Kris Ott. “I also love that the focus on growth, while preserving our community’s farms keeps the agricultural history alive and creates quite the destination for foodies and families alike.”
In 2020 the public can expect 18 large events and concerts at Indian Creek Plaza, including an expansion of the Tuesdays on the Creek Summer Concert Series and Farm to Fork Farmers’ Market to 20 weeks. Destination Caldwell’s 2020 event lineup can be seen at IndianCreekPlaza.com
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About Destination Caldwell – Destination Caldwell is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to leverage Caldwell’s agricultural heritage to promote economic growth. The organization aims to make Caldwell a destination for locally produced wines along the Sunnyslope Wine Trail, market fresh goods, and farm to fork dining. Destination Caldwell is also the City of Caldwell’s managing partner of Indian Creek Plaza, with the intent to produce 250 events and activities each year to attract locals and visitors to downtown Caldwell. The Plaza is located in the core area of downtown Caldwell’s retail district on the corner of Kimball Avenue and Arthur Street and is equipped with an ice-skating ribbon and rink, a stage for concerts, live entertainment and movies, outdoor seating, and two splash pads. For more information, visit https://www.destinationcaldwell.com and https://www.indiancreekplaza.com
