Novice or professional, individual or group, adult or youth, gingerbread house contests and displays appeal to virtually everyone. And viewing and voting can engage visitors of all ages as well. An exciting take on this classic downtown event, has teams of architects competing against each other while onlookers observe their techniques. In Houston, the Gingerbread…To read more — login/subscribe
Deserved or not, many downtowns get bad raps. Crime, panhandling, a lack of parking, graffiti many city centers battle challenges to their reputations. How to respond? Savvy downtown marketers say the best approach is to swallow your pride, resist the temptation to shoot down the naysayers, and fully acknowledge your issues preferably with a bit…To read more — login/subscribe
Social media is a crucial tool for promoting events. But with the range of social media channels it can be overwhelming. Britt Diehl of the Downtown Denver Partnership says the marketing of any event should follow a three step plan. First comes the pre-party. Before you even begin promoting a festival or a pub crawl,…To read more — login/subscribe
Just hours after celebrating Thanksgiving Day, shoppers line up at big-box stores to grab oneof-a-kind deals. The chamber of commerce in Glen Arbor, MI, thinks things should be a little different, so the group hosts an annual Better than Black Friday event. Participating retailers offer early morning specials from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. Participants are…To read more — login/subscribe
On the Friday before Halloween, Downtown Campbell, CA, is taken over by the undead as the annual Zombie Crawl/Thriller Dance Mob hits the streets. The Zombie Crawl runs from roughly 7 to 10 p.m. The group wanders through downtown and performs the Thriller dance at 10 designated spots, typically in front of restaurants and bars.…To read more — login/subscribe
Toronto’s Open Streets program has drawn hundreds of thousands of people in recent years. In the final Open Streets event of 2019, the city closed two main thoroughfares to vehicles. In place of cars, drag queens offered face painting and organizers set up a skate park and a scooter park. Toronto isn’t alone in occasionally…To read more — login/subscribe
The Downtown Lincoln Association started the holiday shopping season early with the 12th Annual Shop the Blocks promotion on Thursday, November 21 from 4:30 to 9:30 a.m. Shop the Blocks is a ticketed event. Guests pay $7 in advance or $10 on the day of the event. An “all access pass” includes: In-store discounts at…To read more — login/subscribe
In an effort to bring shoppers downtown and compete with nearby areas, a Canadian improvement district dusted off a classic downtown retail promotion and added some aggressive marketing techniques. The Glebe Spree, hosted by the Glebe Business Improvement Area (BIA) of Ottawa, ON, Canada, is a program that runs from November 15 through December 31.…To read more — login/subscribe
Local talent, local food, and local businesses were featured at the 5th annual Texarkana Dine on the Line event. The community-wide farm-to-table dinner takes place at 5 p.m. right down the double yellow on State Line Avenue. Tickets were $40 per person or $75 for two and were available on Eventbright. Local restaurants prepared the…To read more — login/subscribe
Igloos have been popping up in cold-winter cities for several years and the trend continues in 2019. On restaurant patios, decks, and rooftops, the dome-shaped igloos provide a cozy spot to dine, drink, and enjoy the outdoors. In Michigan, they can be found everywhere from downtown Detroit to the suburbs to Petoskey and Marquette in…To read more — login/subscribe
