ATHENS— Fridays After Five will look a little different this month with the new additions to the square.
Fridays After Five is the third Friday of each month in June-September, continuing this Friday, July 20 from 5-8 p.m. in downtown Athens, Ala.
This event, sponsored by WOW! Internet, Cable & Phone, was a huge success in June. After evaluating the previous month, the Fridays After Five committee met to discuss necessary changes for July.
A few modifications will be made to the event layout due to downtown construction. The TAP project began the week of June 25 with a goal to improve pedestrian safety and handicap accessibility. The tentative completion date is October 1.
The Fridays After Five committee has created a plan that will ensure fun and safety at the event. Since the major construction areas are on Marion street, the vendors and food trucks will move to Washington street. The kids zone will remain at the Exchange building on Marion street and the sidewalks will be open for pedestrians.
Athens Main Street executive director, Tere Richardson, said that the Fridays After Five committee has worked diligently to plan a night of fun for the entire family. “There will be plenty of music, shopping and fun for the kids. So, come on down and check out what’s new on the square. We have several new vendors to browse as well as our downtown merchants and restaurants offering Fridays After Five specials.”
One of the new additions to downtown is Terranova’s Italian Restaurant. Manager, Frances Sanderson, said, “We have loved joining the downtown community and we are so excited to be a part of Fridays After Five.”
Willow Cottage Antiques has also been under construction to expand the store. Owner, Mary Box, said, “We’re excited to open the expansion for our customers to see. We have doubled our square footage including an upstairs full of treasures.”
Among the changes, the heart of Fridays After Five will stay the same—to bring people to the downtown district to dine, shop and enjoy live entertainment.
Don’t forget to bring a lawn chair. Singing on the Square, hosted by Athens-Limestone County Tourism, will be on the Marion street courthouse steps. This week Briana & Garrett Dean, a local husband and wife duo, will perform from 6-8 p.m.
The downtown merchants, vendors and eateries participating this week are:
- Athens Roasting Company – Locally roasted, small batch coffee
- Athens Soap Company – 3 for $15 soaps, $1 off essential oil rollers
- Bennett’s – Men’s and women’s clothing store
- Boneyard Antiques – Four Legged Fridays: bring your furry friends by for a bone at the Boneyard
- The Broken Brush – Canvas, wood and pottery painting
- Crawford’s Gifts – Lemonade and savory crackers will be served
- DotDotSmile – Children’s swing dresses
- Dream Key Real Estate – Come check out the office & enter to win two tickets to “A Night to Celebrate” (fundraiser for the Alabama Veterans Museum)
- Epiphany Boutique – 20% off merchandise
- Garnet’s – Shop for home goods
- High Cotton Arts – Visit with artists, shop for locally made art, sign up for classes and enjoy light refreshments; City of Athens Bicentennial shirts will be available for purchase
- Jan’s Custom Crafts – Seat belt cozies for $3.50, flower arrangements for $30.00
- Kona Ice – Cool off with shaved ice
- Kreme Delite – Ice cream shop
- LaWanda’s Fresh Veggies – Local produce
- Little Happies Company – Personalized jewelry for all occasions
- Lucia’s – $4.50 margaritas
- Our Little Kitchen Food Truck – Seafood gumbo, shrimp po’boys, red beans & rice, jalapeno cornbread, chicken quesadillas, jambalaya and fried apple pies
- Paparazzi Jewelry – Drawing every hour for jewelry; $1 ticket/ chance
- Pimentos – All lamps 25% off, spring extra 25% off, all thymes 30% off, all art work 25% off (some exclusions apply)
- The Potter’s Hand – Handmade pottery; an outreach mission connection faith, art & community service
- Reeder Bees – Locally produced raw honey
- The Right Dress Boutique – Buy one get one 50% off jewelry, 50% Ginger Snap jewelry, 50% off anything with a pink ribbon
- Snapdragon Kids – Kids clothing store
- The Sweetest Things Tea Room – Dinner special: fried catfish & trimmings
- Terranova’s – Dinner special: chicken scaloppini
- Toodlebugs – 20% off sale on select shoes and clothing
- Trinity’s – All purchases of $25 or more will receive a free Swan Creek candle
- G. White Mercantile – Spend $100 get a free pound of candy (full price merchandise only)
- Village Pizza – Pizza, salads and subs
- Who, What, Where Art – Athens and other local city/ town signed prints and notecards, hand painted jewelry
- Wildwood Deli – Food and/or beverage specials
- The Willow Cottage – Antiques & interiors
For more information and to stay up-to-date on future Fridays After Five events, visit https://www.facebook.com/fridaysafterfive/.
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