By: Irit Skulnik
CAPITAL NEW SERVICE
ANNAPOLIS — Downtown Annapolis businesses are gearing up for the Spring Sailboat Show this weekend, an event organizers said attracts thousands of visitors and cements the city’s sailing identity.
For business owners, the impacts of the annual boat show have been mixed. Some said they experience huge revenue increases, while others said they are not usually affected.
This year, however, some owners said they are hoping for a boost from the show to help make up for losses from a major construction project underway to revamp the city’s waterfront dock. Some business owners said they experienced a 50% to 70% loss in revenue from the project.
“With any event that comes, you hope you can kind of recoup,” said Randi Sadlik, owner of The Big Cheese and Sammy’s Deli.
The spring boat show features 37 sailboats and 103 participating businesses, according to Ryan Gullang, the communications coordinator and program manager for Annapolis Boat Shows. During the event, which runs April 24 – April 26, businesses set up temporary storefronts inside festival tents.
“We try to bring in as many businesses as we can to actually present at the show,” Gullang said. “That obviously connects them with people from all over the state of Maryland and the nation.”
Gullang said the organization is conducting an economic impact study this year to measure the effect of the boat shows.
He said the organization splits its ticket revenue with the city, which goes toward different municipal projects. He said last year the organization gave the city $564,320 in combined revenue from three of its boat shows.
Adam Strott, Annapolis’ economic development manager, said the boat shows also benefit local businesses, including those on Dock Street, as a “major driver” of foot traffic.
This rings true for Sofi’s Crepes, a cafe on Craig Street.
“Historically, we’ve had lines out the door,” said Toni Martinez, a shift lead at Sofi’s Crepes.
Storm Bros. Ice Cream Factory owner Sveinn Storm, however, said the spring show usually doesn’t have much impact, but he’s optimistic this year will be different. He said boat show organizers have involved businesses, especially those on Dock Street impacted by construction.
He said people usually go to the boat show and then go home, but he thinks this time organizers will encourage attendees to visit businesses.
“There’s a deliberate effort this time on their part to include the businesses,” Storm said. “I’m really hoping that we do well.”
That optimism comes as business owners say foot traffic has dropped during the City Dock construction project.
The $87.8 million project, which broke ground in the fall, aims to address flooding issues around the dock and create a waterfront park. The multi-phased project is expected to be done in 2028, according to its website.
The construction takes up a large area of parking space, which makes it harder for people to get to their stores, owners said.
“I have people that constantly say or they’ll call and go, ‘I’m sorry, I called an order in, but I can’t get down because there’s nowhere to park,’” Sadlik said.
One business, Annapolis Marine Art Gallery, is closing its storefront because of the revenue and foot traffic loss, the owners said.
City spokesperson Mitchelle Stephenson said in a statement that officials are aware of the challenges with construction, which is why they have remained in “constant dialogue with the Dock Street stakeholders.”
She said the city has rerouted the free downtown shuttle to prioritize Dock Street businesses and installed signage promoting the area.
To remind people that downtown Annapolis is still open and to build excitement, Annapolis Boat Shows partnered with Dock Street businesses for a March campaign. The organization offered free tickets to the show to anyone who made a purchase at one of the 11 participating Dock Street businesses.
Kate Wilkerson, co-owner of Annapolis Marine Art Gallery, said she appreciated the campaign and had some customers take advantage of it.
“It was nice for someone who’s not normally down here to kind of recognize that we’re all needing a little bit of help,” Wilkerson said.
