What I am about to tell you definitely qualifies as a good news/bad news situation. Let's start with the good news first; Rockford City Market will finally be opening for the 2020 season on Friday, June 5, BUT...here comes the bad news...it will be operating very differently than what we're used to.

If your favorite thing to do on a Friday during the summer is to kick off your weekend eating, drinking, relaxing and shopping at Rockford City Market, you're going to have to revise your plans a bit...at least for the month of June. Earlier this week Rockford City Market released an update saying, for the first month at least, it will function as an "in and out" market.

So, what does this mean exactly? Basically, we can still stop by and shop, but we can't stay and make a night of it. According to Rockford City Market's Facebook;

What will be eliminated due to restrictions on gathering, at least for June?
Live music, food or beverage consumption on site, activities, seating. We know that these are huge changes and not what anyone is used to or prefers (including us) but it is our reality for now, and we are hopeful for changes along the way during our 4 month season.

What can you expect as customers in June?
Booths spread out, entrances limited, vendors mostly on one side of the street, the number of customers at one time limited, one way traffic, social distancing guidelines, face coverings required, and credit or debit transactions preferred.

Although I totally understand while these changes needed to be made, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a total bummer. The most important thing we need to remember is this; these local vendors need our help. They need us to come and shop local. They need us to help them stay afloat. So, even if you can't spend your Friday night drinking and eating in the actual Rockford City Market space, please make a point to go there to buy the things you need to drink, eat and enjoy a Friday night at home.

We're all in this together!

Catch Lil Zim on ‘Q98.5 Mornings with Lil Zim & JB’ on Q98.5 from 6:00 a.m. to 10 a.m. Follow her on TwitterInstagram, and Facebook

 

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