EASTON, Pa. - The city of Easton is considering adding an outdoor holiday shopping village to its downtown.
Mayor Sal Panto said the outdoor market is one of the options Easton is considering for Phase 2 of its COVID-19 business recovery plan.
Phase 1 was for restaurants, the city closed down parts of streets for additional outdoor dining space. Panto said it has been a success and now it's time to focus on the city's many mom and pop shops.
"Phase 2 could take on two different things. One, a full-blown Christmas village with the city buying huts and letting the retailers come to them or just having a lot of different activities [around town]," Mayor Panto said.
The village would only be open to Easton businesses. Kim Kmetz of Easton Main Street Initiative, a group that works with city business owners, said they would likely need at least a dozen interested vendors to make a market work.
"This is a year like no other. People aren't feeling comfortable being inside and we have all the components to make people feel safe and to shop small," Kmetz said.
Mayor Panto said if the city makes the market a go, it will likely be up and running by November 13.
