PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Christmas Village will have a different setup this year as organizers try to make the experience ADA-compliant. They’re doing away with walk-in booths and going strictly for over-the-counter commerce.
Drew Fisher said when he received an email from village organizers about the planned changes, he knew his business, Color and Flame, was likely out.
“It feels like a mini store, like a mini-boutique when you come in. Everything is out, laid nicely on shelves. Also, because it’s the winter time, we have a nice little heater inside. So people really like to come in; it feels comfortable. They can take their time and peruse,” Fisher said.
“This was going to be our fourth year, and then this huge curveball was thrown to us.”
KYW Newsradio obtained the email from German American Marketing, Inc. It said permanent ramps were proposed instead of closing off the booths, but the required ramp length plus the handrails that needed to be installed took the option off the table.
It left only one option: making the booths inaccessible to be in 100% compliance.
Fisher said selling his kind of goods over the counter, like candles, perfumes, lotions and more, ruins the experience.
“Having that interrupted with us saying, ‘Here, try this one. Here, try this one. Hold one, let me go and get you the other scent.’ We just knew that wasn’t gonna work for us.”
Fisher’s business will have to rely on just online sales this holiday season.
“This is actually a huge financial hit for us. We can’t just pivot to another event because all the events for this kind of end-of-year seasonal thing where it would have been spanning a month, month and a half. They’re all filled up.”
Lindsay Gradel, who’s been a quasi-spokesperson for vendors coping with the change, said not only is it a big financial hit for those dropping out, but it’s going to change the whole Philly Christmas Village vibe for customers.
“... It really does truly change the whole experience," Gradel said. "For it to shift like that where they have these permanent tabletops…it just doesn’t work in our world.”
German American Marketing, Inc. has not responded to a KYW Newsradio request for comment about the changes.
