Moving First Friday to the third Friday with an entertainment event and then having a food event on the first Friday was discussed at a Main Street Warsaw meeting Thursday at Hoplore.
“We’ve evaluated First Friday for quite some time, and it seems to fall, not seems, it falls directly on holiday weekends and on spring break and it’s just a bad time. So what we’re proposing is that we go to Third Friday for our main event that we do downtown and also do a First Friday food event. That would be something that would attract more people more regularly and it’s something we think is very important as Main Street Warsaw that we do things to help draw people to the downtown,” said Rob Parker, executive director, Main Street Warsaw.
First Fridays usually conflicts with high school graduation for Warsaw Community High School and holidays like Memorial Day and spring break always conflict with First Fridays and “that’s why we made the decision to move it to third” Friday, Parker said.
Parker said the idea for First Friday would be food, possibly with food trucks, but it could just be all the downtown businesses coming together with specials on those days so people can enjoy coming downtown on First Friday. Parker said Main Street Warsaw would promote whatever businesses would want to do during First Friday.
Third Fridays would be vendors, people coming together on the street, entertainment, etc.
When asked if it was a definite move, Parker said, “Nothing is ever definite until it’s definite.” He said if there’s strong feelings about the change, he’d like to hear it.
Concerns about Warsaw’s First Friday moving to Third Friday and conflicting with Milford’s Third Friday were discussed.
Parker said if changing Warsaw’s First Friday to Third Friday hurts either Warsaw or Milford, Main Street Warsaw will consider changing it.
“We just need to find a better way, I think. That First Friday was great, but it’s taxing to always be on those holidays and finding people to work them,” he said.
Moving First Friday to the second Friday of the month is possible, but the third Friday is a little bit better. The fourth Friday of the month runs in the same problem as the first Friday of the month, Parker said. Further evaluation will be done.
“I think, like anything else, over time, things get a little stale so you have to shake things up and try new things. And that’s kind of what we’re doing here and see if that helps,” Parker said.
He said he doesn’t want to compete with anyone. There’s about 80,000 people in Kosciusko County with about 40,000 people directly around Warsaw, Parker said.
It was also suggested people going to First Friday be polled of where they’re coming from to see if people would be pulled to similar events on the same weekend.
Cindy Dobbins, Buffalo Street Emporium and Book Store, said she wanted to issue a challenge to stay open longer on First Fridays. She said at her store, when she’s stayed open on First Fridays, people will come in. While some people may not buy things that same day, they may return later to purchase items.
Parker said one of the biggest challenges is that businesses aren’t open during First Friday and “we’ve got to find a way to address that and help people keep open.” He suggested it may help bring more people downtown during First Friday.
Attorney Travis McConnell wondered if the businesses that stay open during First Fridays want food trucks downtown. Parker said some businesses do, while others don’t.
“Because the more food that’s downtown, it becomes a food event and people come down,” he said.
McConnell suggested shop trucks. Parker said there are some and there have been some downtown at First Fridays.
Also talked about during the meeting was:
• Main Street’s Facade Grant. Parker said there’s $25,000 a year that can be given out for businesses to update its facade. A maximum of $5,000 can be given out per grant. Parker said he believes $15,000 has been given out this year. If any business is interested in the grant this year, bills must be submitted by mid-November.
• The temporary bike lanes going east on Market Street up to South Columbia Street have garnered a lot of attention and that’s what it was designed to do, said Mayor Joe Thallemer.
It is part of a trail that was laid out seven or eight years ago as part of the city’s Bike+Walk master plan. He said the part downtown is a critical link.
Thallemer said there’s going to be refinements and the city is going to have to work to get people to understand what its trying to do with the trail.
The temporary bike lanes are going to be up for another month and the city is gathering data about it. From what the city has gathered, there has been some good usage of the lanes so far.
