The event was held by the Greater Springfield Partnership, which was looking to do something different this year as the pandemic caused events to be previously cancelled.
CommonsFest took place at National Road Commons Park in downtown Springfield and saw 20 vendors participate along with 20 businesses and organizations that are part of the partnership.
Greg Rogers, president of Link-Hellmuth Insurance, said the event brought more visibility to the services his family-owned business offers. The combination of events brought families and those passing through to his booth.
His business has been operating in downtown Springfield since 1894 and it has participated in past partnership events such as the Business EXPO.
“At the Business EXPO you really just see the business owners and employees. But here we are seeing employees, owners and the general public. A few people drove by and saw what looked like a festival going on and they decided to stop and walk through,” Rogers said.
He said with the Business EXPO merging with MarketFest, it brought a more diverse group out as it combined the different crowds that would attend those events.
Vendors and businesses had booths set up all over the park and those there to shop at the farmers market also had opportunities to learn more about local businesses and organizations.
The event was well received said John Kelly, the downtown events programmer for the Greater Springfield Partnership.
Kelly said moving forward this is a type of event they plan on continuing as it is a good way to bring awareness and support local efforts going on in the community.
He said in addition to vendors who sold flowers, produce, honey, sweets and crafts there were representatives from local organizations such as the Small Business Development Center as well as manufacturers, insurance and healthcare companies.
Carolyn Young, a Director of Community Health for Mercy Health, said the event was a good venue to promote all of the services that the hospital network offers in the area.
It also served as a way to promote open positions at Springfield Regional Medical Center, Urbana Hospital and the physician and specialty practices under Mercy’s umbrella.
Those positions include entry level, nursing as well as practitioners.
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