A street market promoting predominantly LGBTQ+ small businesses in one of Dallas’ historic gay neighborhoods was shut down by the city after complaints from local businesses — complaints one business owner says were misconstrued by the city.
Market on the Strip, which launched in March, hosted local LGBTQ+ businesses every weekend near Throckmorton Street and Cedar Springs Road in Oak Lawn.
Christopher Evans, who runs the market, said he received a phone call in November from a staffer for City Council Member Paul Ridley, who told him a complaint was sent to their office before being forwarded to the Special Events Office.
Days later, Evans said he submitted a request to allow the vendors to set up on the other side of Throckmorton Street, but was told by the city they were no longer allowed anywhere in the neighborhood.
Evans said he did not get an explanation for their decision.
“This has been a very anxious and stressful situation,” Evans said. “It takes a lot to put a market together, which I don't think people realize until they actually do it.”
Crickles and Co. owner Donna Barnard confirmed she filed the complaint with Ridley's office as the vendors slowed business down on the weekends.
But days after the market was shut down, Barnard emailed Ridley again and asked him to overturn the decision, according to a letter obtained by KERA.
“It was never our intention to have the market shut down entirely,” the letter read. “We understand that the vendors depend on the market for their livelihood, and it seems unfair to completely shut it down without a viable alternative.”
In response, Ridley's chief of staff Max Sanchez told her it wasn't their call to shut down the market.
"As I understand it, they were already having issues with their permit and the officer of special events, unrelated to our inquiry," the email read.
Ridley's office did not respond to KERA's request for comment.
Since the ban, Evans has held the market inside nightclub Station 4. But the club lacks the foot traffic that came with being out in the community.
“It's for the community, for the vendors who are a part of the community,” Evans said. “And we thought that it would also be just helping the community itself.”
A petition to bring back the market had more than 400 signatures as of Tuesday afternoon.
“Since we started in the market in March, we've had an amazing outcome of the community enjoying it, the small businesses thriving,” said Evans' wife, Angie, who started the petition. “And the reaction we got from having the market was amazing.”
In an email, city spokesperson Nick Starling told KERA businesses complained in the past that they didn't like the market on the street because it led to parking issues and took away business from their shops.
Starling also said the city's Convention and Event Services office in the Office of Special Events found the market was not in compliance with street closure requirements, but did not specify which requirements they were in violation of.
“CES-OSE's current opinion is that a new location would solve these issues especially if the market operates long-term,” Starling said.
Got a tip? Email Penelope Rivera at privera@kera.org.
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