OBSERVER Photo Ty Pennington and Amanda Brinkman from “Small Business Revolution” have been impressed by the spirit of Fredonia.

Nor rain, nor sleet and definitely not snow flurries could keep area residents away from a street party that no one could have ever predicted last fall. Reminiscent of the summer months, Church Street and Park Place were closed to traffic as crowds gathered around the outdoor stage on the evening of March 6.

Bright lights. The Rising band, led by Frank Beach, was playing. Hundreds were cheering.

Downtown Fredonia was a destination that was hopping that evening. What a glorious sight.

All it took was a bit of hope and enthusiasm, which was generated in December when the village was named as a Top 10 finalist for the “Small Business Revolution.” More than a month later when co-host Amanda Brinkman walked across the 1891 Fredonia Opera House and Performing Arts Center stage it brought not only a huge roar from those in attendance on Jan. 28, it also appeared to recharge a community.

Brinkman and Ty Pennington were both impressed by that energy after staying for one week in the region.

“What I love is the variety of businesses that are here,” Pennington said after Friday’s rally inside the Aloe Vera’s Eatery at 33 Church St. “This is one of the most unique towns in the sense there’s such a variety we’re helping out.”

It was a far cry from six years ago when events here started to take a turn for the worse. Storefronts along Main Street were emptying. Windows were literally falling out of Village Hall on Temple Street. Confidence and morale seemed to be slumping.

Back then, it was easy to understand. ConAgra’s announcement to close the Carriage House plant led to job losses for some 400 workers in the Dunkirk-Fredonia plants. When you consider the impact of those positions in terms of payroll alone to this region annually — about $20 million — there’s bound to be a slowdown.

For members of that work force, some of those let go were fortunate to find jobs in the area while others retired or left town for other positions. It created an instability that had not been seen in Western New York since the closures of Alco, Roblin Steel, Kraft and Great Lakes Printing just to name a few.

Even when those plants were closing, the thought of the Red Wing location that provided scents of peanut butter, grapes and tomato sauce leaving still seemed inconceivable. But that can be a problem when reality hits.

Northern Chautauqua County is not alone in its crisis to find an identity as a community as mall and store visits decline as online shopping becomes more popular. For Dunkirk, that option seems easy. Keep promoting and making progress by building up the waterfront and Lake Erie.

Fredonia, for its part, has always been associated with its state university. It is no secret that this institution has faced some hard times in recent years as enrollment has declined at alarming rates. Wednesday’s announcement of uncertainty with the coronavirus is one more reason for concern.

This could slow some of the village’s momentum, which also was evident on Saturday during a grand opening event for The Art Market at 50 W. Main St. by Ted Sharon. Hundreds of community members and elected officials came out to celebrate the opening of what many would refer to as a creative space of sorts to bring people together.

Sharon, who also has promoted the Dunkirk Lighthouse in July through his Venture Productions of Shakespeare on the Lake, understands the importance of having a downtown with an energy that includes the arts.

“The idea is that we’re providing artists a space to come in out of the rain, so to speak, to have rent and utilities taken care of,” he said. “The public can come and enjoy the gallery and also have the opportunity to purchase pieces for their homes or offices, hence ‘the Art Market.’ ”

Driving foot traffic is the key to success for small businesses in Fredonia and across Western New York. Creative spaces, including Sharon’s storefront, help promote that effort.

“Small Business Revolution,” which has been across America for five seasons, can see the momentum that is building here.

“We feel like the future is bright here in Fredonia,” Brinkman said last week. “We can see that everybody is ready to work together to drive the community forward and that’s what we really see in communities that are thriving is that everybody is coming together around this common goal of moving into the future into a positive way.”

John D’Agostino is the OBSERVER publisher. Send comments to jdagostino@observertoday.com or call 366-3000, ext. 401.