12/16/2025
I don’t even know where to begin, other than saying how incredible it was to witness what happened on Sunday.
Watching our vendors, staff, and patrons come together in the middle of something so unpredictable and honestly unprecedented—the extreme cold, the massive wind, everything working against us—was humbling in a way I can’t fully put into words. It would have been easy to walk away. A lot of people would have. But instead, I watched people help one another, hold down tents, share supplies, check on each other, and keep showing up anyway.
There is one moment that really sums it all up for me. When the wind caught my massive inflatable enclosure and it very realistically could have sailed straight into the river—or worse, into an innocent bystander—EVERYONE jumped in without hesitation. Vendors dropped what they were doing, staff ran in, patrons grabbed hold, and together we stopped what could have been a very dangerous situation. That moment alone showed me exactly what kind of community this is.
To the vendors who stuck it out with us: thank you. Truly. You are the backbone of everything we do, and your resilience, patience, and grit did not go unnoticed for a second.
To the patrons who still came out to support us and our vendors despite the weather—thank you. Every smile, every purchase, every “we’re glad you’re doing this” meant more than you probably realize. You helped keep spirits up when things were tough, and that matters.
Starting a brand-new event in a brand-new location is hard on a good day. This weekend was not a good day—and yet, here we were, pushing through together. I am deeply grateful to those of you who have stuck with me over the years, through changes, growth, learning curves, and now through this. Your belief in what we’re building keeps me going even when it feels overwhelming.
I say this with my whole heart: I could not do any of this without each and every one of you. Not the events, not the long days, not the crazy ideas that somehow turn into real things. This is a community effort in the truest sense, and I am so thankful to be surrounded by people who care as much as you all do.
From the bottom of my heart—thank you for standing with us, supporting one another, and reminding me why we do this in the first place.
—Jerod
