As the temperatures drop here in Indiana, the festive activities start up. Families across the state are looking forward to doing all of the classic festivities. Decorating their houses, baking cookies, and watching Christmas movies, while counting down the days till the big man comes and visits them. Soon, their green Christmas tree will be filled with a plethora of red bows and boxes. The holidays can be tough for some though, especially financially. Being able to meet everyone’s needs during the season of giving can often be quite draining. Many find it difficult to give something that will fill the recipient with joy and leave them with that satisfying smile on their face. But, Downtown Kokomo, IN offers a way for everyone’s needs to be met. First Fridays is the solution. You may be wondering, what are these so-called “First Fridays” and what all does it entail. Well, in short, it is an opportunity for the community to gather and experience an art-based open house tour of the delightful Downtown Kokomo. But, it is so much more than its definition.
The first ten Fridays of every month, from 5:30 to 8 pm, Downtown Kokomo offers a community event for local businesses to showcase what they are made of. You can expect to find discounts at your favorite restaurants and businesses. It also includes live music, public art, and family-friendly activities. At the start of every month, people and families across the community look forward to this lively event. Oh, did you think it stopped there? Well, you would be wrong. We all know that every good time has a matching theme that amplifies the experience. That’s right. First Fridays have a different theme for every event based on the activities going on around it. For example, in April of this past spring, they had an eclipse theme and in July they had a “Freedom Friday.” This past Friday, December 6, I had the opportunity to visit this event, ugly Christmas sweater style.
To be able to get through the festivities, I had to fuel up. To quench my thirst, I first stopped at Mo Joe’s Coffee House. I was greeted with a warm welcome and a sweet smile. Mo Joes was offering a few amenities for First Fridays. They had special menu items such as the “dirty snowman”, a frozen hot chocolate, and an extra special hot chocolate with marshmallow and cookie dough flavors. Mo Joe’s was also offering cookie and ornament decorating for free! Mo Joes is providing a great opportunity for families all over to enjoy some holiday fun without the extra cost. This is owner, Deonna Holland’s, favorite part of the event. She loves seeing families and kids coming in to enjoy time together. This coffee shop was all in for this First Friday. It was also the company’s first year participating in such an event and there were not enough good things to say about it. Holland said the event has increased their business tremendously. It has also had a tremendously positive impact on the community. Due to the event being so inclusive for everyone including young adults, families, and adults, there really is a place for everyone at the Downtown table.
Next, I stopped at an artist’s utopia, Fired Arts Studio. This is a business that provides the opportunity for people to test their pottery skills by creating hand-made pieces. I spoke with an employee of the establishment and they had much to say about First Fridays and how beneficial it is. Fired Arts Studio has been participating in this event for close to seven years. Every year is filled with different types of fun. Employee, Echo, said that First Fridays are when their business is really booming. With their new location, they are able to create more opportunities for amusement. This past fall they hosted a “color wars” where they hung a blank tapestry and allowed people to come through and paint on it and to create something truly unique. Echo also said that this is such a purposeful event because it provides people with something to do. In such a small town the same things tend to become a little repetitive and more importantly, quite costly.
Finally, after all of these amazing commodities. You are probably thinking, “How should I First Friday?” Well to start, Echo from Fired Arts Studio recommends walking around the square and checking out all of your favorite businesses. You never know what deals they are going to offer or what amenities they might have. In conclusion, First Fridays is not only a way to showcase some local businesses but also a community. It shows the kind of support people have for their favorite businesses and how much the businesses care for them. With such a wide range of things to do, there is surely an activity for everyone there. To find out more information about this event check out ThisIsKokomo.com. But I encourage you to come and experience this for yourself and come and see what all Downtown Kokomo is about.
