Crystal Beach Supper Market getting ready to kick off June 26

A weekly summer tradition is set to return for another year at Waterfront Park.

It’s the Crystal Beach Supper Market, an event started about seven years ago that brings out an average of 400 people each week.

Starting June 26, patrons can satisfy their hunger and thirst at 12 food trucks, as well as at eight “pathway vendors,” hawkers who don’t sell food but provide artisan products and treats like lemonade and gelato, market manager Dan Strugar used as examples in a recent interview with Fort Erie Radio.

Strugar is the new person at the helm of the food affair, expanding his role in the event on top of being a member of the Ridgeway-Crystal Beach (RCB) Kin Club.

The local service club operates the licensed bar area, which supports local charities.

In 2024, a total of 10 groups benefitted from $3,200 brought in through alcohol sales.

An additional $8,200 went back into the community through funds the Kin Club brought in, a result of 100 per cent of the profit, after expenses, going toward their various efforts.

While Kin members will continue to be responsible for booking musical acts and running the bar area, Strugar was approached by the Crystal Beach BIA during the offseason to take the helm of the market altogether, an invitation he has accepted.

One big change with the schedule this year, 10 Thursdays until the end of August, will be the start time being pushed back an hour to 5 p.m, when data shows more people start to file into the park.

“Nothing happens at 4 o’clock,” said Strugar, also noting that 5 p.m. is when the live music starts at the bandshell, and that the evening comes to a close at 9 p.m.

There will also be a couple of new food trucks who weren’t part of the program last year, he said.

Whether it’s to find dinner or to enjoy some live music, Strugar said it’s not uncommon to see the same faces week after week.

“You do see a number of people who come every single week religiously,” said Strugar.

An application for charities to register as beneficiaries is available on the RCB Kin Club and Crystal Beach Supper Market Facebook pages.

The deadline to submit is May 30.

On opening night, local cover band Stuck in the ’90s will rock the crowd.

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