During the Downtown Sanford Bike Criterium last weekend, another merchant and I had a chance to chat about what we would like to see happen downtown. She and I both do several craft shows a year across North Carolina and really enjoy every one of them. We both also have friends who frequent the Pittsboro First Sunday festival and Siler City Third Fridays. Both are great events that seem to bring a lot of folks into each downtown.
I love our downtown and I feel honored to be able to have my little shop there. When we travel, we always try to spend a day in the downtown district of whereever we may be. We look at the distinct arcitecture and see what we unique spots we can find.
I try to look at our downtown through those same “touristy” glasses every once and a while…like a few weeks ago when I once again noticed the georgeous tiles around Carolina Sporting Goods or the beautiful stonework above DWA Photography or even the little Coke bottles on the old Coca-Cola building (my favorite! — I’m try to get Beverly Brookshire to do a painting of this one!).
In a recent editorial by Billy Liggett, he asked “Why Can’t Sanford Do That?” I have asked myself this same thing my entire life. This time, however, instead of just asking, I want to actually do something. Why can’t we have a monthly festival to bring folks downtown? It wouldn’t require the amount of work that a huge annual festival would and could easily be maintained. I would love to do it possibly on a Friday evening with all of the businesses staying open later and hopefully drawing in crafters from around the area. There is a lot of talent in Sanford. Lots of people make lots of different things. I realize this every time I do a show and meet a Sanfordian crafter I didn’t know about. This would be a great time to show off these talents. I know in Pittsboro, for example, for many crafters it is sort of their regular “shop” in that their customers know they will find them there each month.
I would love to have some feedback on this topic and see what the rest of you in the blogosphere think!!!
Kim Pritt said,
May 4, 2008 @ 9:27 pm
That is a GREAT idea!!! We could get some of the downtown merchants to participate and help with the advertising — recruit a few and then more and more local crafters/artists and encourage non-profits to set up info stands to promote interest in all the great things that Sanford has to offer!!!!
I haven’t heard anything about the Thursday concerts at Depot Park – are they doing that this year??? Maybe we could start doing it in conjunction with that – they already bring in a decent crowd and Thursday’s would catch the Temple crowds as they wait for show time!!!
It could be small, but a great way to start something positive to showcase Sanford on a regular basis!!! I wonder how many people we could get excited enough about it to help!!! I’d be willing to help out – you know how to reach me!!!
burnsblog said,
May 4, 2008 @ 9:32 pm
You are awesome Kim!! And I also know first hand that you are a great planner/organizer. As far as I know, the Depot Park concert series will happen again this year. I too think it would be a great idea to combine the two events. The Temple brings us so much business as it is and I think this would only help even more!
I am so glad that you are excited! You have me even more excited and ready to get things going!! I will keep you posted!
M W said,
May 6, 2008 @ 1:24 am
I just posted a very long comment to you on my blog post about the bike race, but I’ll copy it here so you don’t have to go searching!
Amy, what about getting some of the local schools to provide entertainment at Depot Park? Chorus groups, bands, orchestras, etc. It would be free music and you’d have the added bonus of attracting friends and family of the performers. When I was a kid, my school’s chorus and band frequently performed at community events. There were always lots of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and other students on hand to watch us and then participate in additional activities. What about corporate sponsors…Wyeth, Caterpillar, Pentair? Having a local restaurant set up a bar at Depot Park with beer and wine for sale, if that’s something the county commission would go for. Food vendors of all types, from snacks and desserts to full meals. Maybe even themed events…showcase local restaurants one month with samples from their regular menus for sale, showcase local artists one month, maybe even local churches one month, etc. I’m just throwing ideas out there, and I’m sure I could come up with more in a brainstorming session because I tend to feed off of other people. I would love to be involved in something like this…I am SO bored lately and really need an outlet. Maybe go to Taste of Durham (http://www.tasteofdurham.org/) in a couple of weeks and get some ideas. That’s a much larger scale than anything we could do here, but it’s a well done and super fun festival for adults *and* kids!
And FWIW, I think Kim’s idea of doing it in conjunction with the Depot concerts is brilliant! We try to go to all of those and are always disappointed that there aren’t food vendors and more things going on. They seem to draw a nice crowd, so surely it would be worth somebody’s time and effort to at least bring some drinks and some type of food to sell to people, even if it’s just something naughty, sweet, and decadent.
Kim Pritt said,
May 6, 2008 @ 11:09 am
Hey, Amy — that last paragraph from MW sounds like a personal challenge to me!!
Regardless of what happens with this — sounds like an opportunity for Amy’s Confections to make an appearance now and then at the Depot concerts! hhhmmm Carolina Cake Truffles while listening to the Heart of Carolina Jazz Orchestra — yep, sounds like a winner to me!
M W said,
May 6, 2008 @ 12:47 pm
That’s probably the only way I’ll ever get to try a cake truffle, so I’m saying that for purely selfish reasons.
No way could I bring my 2 man wrecking crew into Shoppes at Steele Street! But I do think it’s a good idea for people to set up with a cooler full of drinks and some treats. Yeah, we can walk to Yarbrough’s but it would be nice to have something right there with some different stuff to try.
burnsblog said,
May 6, 2008 @ 1:10 pm
You girls are full of ideas!! I love them all. I have a meeting tomorrow night and I’m going to bring up all of them! I’m running out the door now, but I will post more later. Thanks ladies!
burnsblog said,
May 7, 2008 @ 8:48 pm
M W — You have to get by the Shops to try some Cake Truffles!!!
I love the thought of setting up for the concert series! I think we defniitely need to incorporate some type of vendor presence at the concerts.
I have a meeting tonight and I hope to get more ideas and then I am going to try to make some progress later this week!!
M W said,
May 8, 2008 @ 1:21 am
Someday I’ll get away from them long enough to come by…