First Friday vendors must pay fee

AUGUSTA - Vendors at Augusta&#39;s monthly street festival had to pay a fee for the first time Friday to set up booths along Broad Street. <br> <br> On the first Friday night of every month, the Augusta neighborhood comes alive, as hundreds pack downtown shops, bars and restaurants. <br> <br> Vendors, including artists, food peddlers and jewelers, obtain permission from business owners on Broad Street to sell their wares on adjacent sidewalks. <br> <br> Friday&#39;s festival marked the first time sidewalk vendors were required to pay a $25 fee. <br> <br> Raymond Wescott and his mother, Kathrena Wescott, run a lemonade stand. They said they happily paid the fee in exchange for a sticker that allowed them to sell drinks. <br> <br> ``If (the money) goes to the city, I don&#39;t mind,&#39;&#39; Wescott told The Augusta Chronicle. ``It&#39;s good business.&#34;