Applications are being sought from budding businesses to help fill 10 spots at the Batavia Boardwalk Shops in 2025.
Batavia Boardwalk Shops is an incubator program run by the Batavia MainStreet group where small independent businesses rent spaces at a cluster of tiny shops at the corner of Wilson and River streets in Batavia.
A number of businesses that have taken part in the program have went on to open brick-and-mortar locations of their own, officials said.
The sixth season for the Boardwalk Shops is scheduled to begin on May 9, 2025, and will allow business owners to rent space, showcase their wares and services and learn how to successfully manage a store, according to a press release about the program.
“We are looking for unique vendors to add variety in our existing downtown retail,” Batavia MainStreet Assistant Director Kristen Desler said in the release.
Once applications close on Jan. 10, a jury committee will review all applications, with diversity in vendor offerings kept in mind, according to the release. Previous Boardwalk businesses can re-apply, but are not guaranteed a shop, depending on the variety of applications submitted and jury evaluation, officials said.
For more information or to apply, go to https://downtownbatavia.com/vendor-application/.
The Batavia Boardwalk Shops program is designed to attract small businesses, create more retail shopping and bring people into downtown Batavia, officials said the release.
“This season we’ve had visitors from 200 unique ZIP codes shop the Boardwalk,” Desler said.
Over the last five seasons, the Batavia Boardwalk Shops have had 21 businesses move to a permanent location following their season in the program, with 10 currently occupying brick-and-mortar space in downtown Batavia, according to the release.
The program has grown over the years to include mentorship from former Boardwalk Shop owners, specialized training from the Small Business Development Center and the Women’s Business Development Center and online learning opportunities, officials said.
“We want our Boardwalk Shop tenants to leave with as much information and experience as possible to make an informed decision about the future of their business,” Desler said.
