Stroll on State to refund all vendor fees after snow hampered business

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — GoRockford has decided to refund all permit fees and waive commissions for Stroll on State vendors after a winter storm curbed foot traffic and hurt businesses’ bottom line.

The tourism group, which has organized Stroll for 13 years, announced the refunds Wednesday in an email to vendors. It said all refunds will be processed by the end of next week.

“We’re really empathetic to the fact that for so many vendors Stroll on State is an important day for sales, and clearly the weather didn’t cooperate,” John Groh, president and CEO of GoRockford, told the Rock River Current. “While we will have significant expenses to produce the event, and we will take a financial loss on the event, we think it’s the right thing to do for these small businesses to provide a little bit of relief in recognition of their dedication to Stroll this year and in previous years, and knowing how hard the business climate is for small businesses right now.”

Food trucks pay $300 for a permit and a 10% commission on sales. Food vendors in tents pay $200 and trailers pay $250, plus the 10% commission. Retail vendors pay either $150 or $300, depending on the size of the booth. There were 66 paid vendors, and approximately $13,600 will be refunded in total.

“We hope this action helps offset some of the financial impact created by the weather,” Kristen Paul, executive vice president of GoRockford, wrote in an email to vendors. “Thank you again for your flexibility, dedication, and for helping bring the magic of Stroll on State to life even in very tough conditions.”

At least one vendor had already replied to GoRockford that it would like its refund held and applied to next year’s event.

Related: Rockford retailers say shop local mindset is even more critical this year

Organizers of the Stroll were focused on the forecast all week leading up to the event, but they said rescheduling wasn’t possible because of a multitude of logistical problems that would create. For example, the rental of fencing, barricades, booking of security, contractors and volunteers, required road closures, and the scheduling of police couldn’t simply be shifted to another day. Vendors, many of whom are booked on other days, also weren’t necessarily available for a rescheduled Stroll. And permits required for the event cover just the scheduled day. For example, getting airspace clearance for a drone show can take more than a month.

The combination left GoRockford with the decision to either cancel the event or go forward with a scaled back Stroll, organizers said.

Approximately 8 inches of snow fell on Rockford on Saturday, much of it coming during the event. The snow forced the cancellation of the drone show, and then issues with travel for the pyrotechnics company coming from Iowa led to the last-minute cancellation of fireworks. The event ultimately ended about three hours early.

Official attendance estimates come from an event analytics company that uses mobile device data, but those figures typically come out more than a month after the event. Foot traffic, however, was noticeably smaller.

Groh said the organization is also working on more plans to encourage local shopping in the weeks ahead as an effort to support small businesses.

Photos: Stroll on State 2025 rolls on through the snow in downtown Rockford

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at [email protected] or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas