FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
City Retail District to Launch Weekly Night-Market & DJ Series Aimed at Post-Holiday Sales Lift
Open-air vendors, regional cuisine booths, and rotating live-DJ sets will run every Friday from 6 p.m.–11 p.m., starting 9 January, in the downtown pedestrian zone.
Champaign, Ill. – 21 November 2025
The Champaign City Retail District (CCRD) today announced “After-Dark Market,” a ten-week night-market and live-DJ program designed to extend shopping hours, attract regional visitors, and support small vendors through the traditionally slow first quarter. The series will convert one city block of West Church Street into a lantern-lit corridor of pop-up stalls, food trucks, and a centralized stage featuring Illinois-based disc jockeys.
Market research commissioned by the Illinois Department of Commerce shows temporary night markets raise surrounding retail sales 18–24 % and increase foot-traffic 32 % on average, results CCRD hopes to replicate after holiday crowds subside. “Consumers are looking for experiential reasons to leave the house in January and February,” said bureau chief Allison Rhodes. “Night markets bundle dining, music, and boutique shopping into one ticket-free evening, making them one of the lowest-cost economic drivers a city can deploy.”
CCRD’s own survey of 1,200 downtown visitors in October found 67 % would “very likely” attend a Friday night outdoor bazaar if local retailers participated, while 71 % of merchants said extended foot-traffic would justify keeping doors open past 7 p.m. The findings mirror 2024 data released by the National Retail Federation indicating experience-driven consumers spend 37 % more per outing than convenience shoppers.
“After the lights come down, most districts see a 30 % drop in week-night traffic,” said CCRD Executive Director Maya Patel. “By layering a night-market vibe with curated DJs, we can give residents a fresh reason to rediscover downtown and help local boutiques clear winter inventory without deep discounting.” Patel added that the program is structured to break even by week four through stall-rental fees, beverage sponsorships, and a $5 suggested-donation wristband that enters holders into drawings from participating stores.
Each Friday will feature up to 45 vendors—at least 60 % Illinois-based—selling handmade apparel, vintage vinyl, specialty sauces, and art. A rotating cast of DJs—from Chicago house producer Ayybo to Champaign-native Trym—will spin three-hour sets starting at 7 p.m. on a solar-powered stage funded by the district’s sustainability grant. Local restaurants without late-night permits can sell small-plate tasting menus from heated tents, and the district will provide free stroller parking, coat check, and a rideshare lane to ease congestion. Safety measures include LED street-light boosts to 4,000 Kelvin, eight portable camera towers linked to the police real-time crime center, and twenty community ambassadors trained in de-escalation and first-aid.
Vendor applications open 1 December at cityretaildistrict.org/afterdark; priority placement goes to businesses that commit to sustainable packaging and source at least 25 % of goods within a 150-mile radius. The district projects 6,000–8,000 attendees per night, injecting an estimated $1.1 million into the local economy over the ten-week run.
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“Small businesses told us they needed a creative spark for Q1, and residents asked for safe, vibrant nightlife options,” Patel said. “After-Dark Market answers both calls while showcasing the district’s cultural diversity and keeping more consumer dollars right here at home.”
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