However, just a few miles north, some festivals outside Harris County were still slated to continue on schedule this fall as of press time—including Magnolia’s Stroll Thru the Renaissance, the Texas Renaissance Festival, the Conroe Cajun Catfish Festival, and the Greater Magnolia Parkway Chamber of Commerce’s Parade of Lights.

“If we were 3 miles north of here, then we could be putting these festivals on this fall. But the uncertainty of the whole thing, not knowing how long these limitations on groups of more than 10 and things—that’s a big element in this,” Baxter said.

Festivals adapt

While the city may not hold its usual festivals this year, Baxter said some events—including the Tomball Bluegrass Festival, Depot Day and the tree lighting—may be still put on virtually. GroovFest was displayed as a livestreamed concert in September.

Additionally, Baxter has created short history videos online and has plans to enhance the city’s radio programming on 95.3 FM, including airing festival performers, he said.

“It’s giving us new direction that we can pursue that, in the past, we really didn’t have time for, because we’re so concentrated on promoting festivals and events and then promoting Tomball as a community,” he said. “Now, we’re concentrating more on Tomball as the community.”

Should restrictions be lifted in time, Baxter said the city’s tree lighting could be held in person in November.

Although festivals were postponed this spring in Magnolia, the GMPCC’s Parade of Lights is set for Dec. 5, with masks and social distancing encouraged, President Sandy Barton said.

“Our community is eager to move forward with business and reconnecting, understanding the need to be safe,” she said in an email. “We have been very fortunate that our members and community recognize the need to be safe, and when we gather, we feel we are doing that safely within guidelines.”

Further, the Texas Renaissance Festival is gearing up for its 46th season with face masks, mask break areas, date-specific tickets, no at-gate general admission tickets and attendance monitoring via newly installed electronic people counters. Daily attendance will be limited to 22,500 guests, according to festival information.

“That the Texas Renaissance Festival would be open is huge to us,” said John Ashley, president of Ashley Nostalgia, an old-time photo and costume company and a TRF vendor. “I’m not sure that I can say that we would be put out of business, but it would certainly get us much closer to [closing] if we didn’t have something like TRF opening where we can at least get a little trickle of cash-flow in.”

Businesses face challenges

In support, TRF officials allowed vendors to opt out this season and forward their contracts to 2021, Vendor Manager Jennifer Pierce said. About 15% of the 400-plus vendors did so.

“It was just an option that TRF felt needed to be given, especially considering the circumstances are certainly different this season,” she said.

While festivals may not happen this fall, Baxter said the upside is that the nearly yearlong cancellation comes nine years into Tomball’s festival program, which launched in 2012.

“The impact would have been a lot greater eight or nine years ago if this happened,” he said. “[New] people may not be coming up here this year, but ones who already know—which is a substantial number of people—will still be shopping here.”

•Michael Pierce, co-owner of Cloud Chief & Co. on West Main Street, said he enjoys the festivals and the exposure they give businesses. However, he said he expects business traffic to remain steady or even increase without festivals, which he believes pull customers away from Main Street.

“Actually, the festival nights are our slowest business nights—the festivals of any kind hurt our business,” he said.

Business owners on Market Street, which abuts the festival area, said events broaden their customer base.

“We love our regulars, but we’re always looking for the new folks to come ... and see what we have to offer,” said Jay Stone, head chef of Fire Ant Brewpub on Market Street.

A study of major businesses in the Greater Tomball area by The Retail Coach showed that monthly visits dropped by as much as 83% for some sectors from the first quarter of 2019 to the first quarter of 2020.

As the business community diversifies in Old Town, Candice Gold—owner of Wildflower Bridal, which held a soft opening Sept. 10 on West Main Street—said she believes more guests will organically find their way. As the owner of the city’s only bridal shop, she said she hopes to promote neighboring businesses, such as catering, beauty and floral services.

“I am sad we’re not going to see what it’s like to go through true festivals and German [Festival] and everything else, but there’s always next year,” she said.

By working together to draw customers and promote other’s products, Manning said she believes businesses will endure.

“I do think that Old Town Tomball is still going to thrive. The businesses down there—we have really worked together,” she said.

Adriana Rezal contributed to this report.