Downtown pedestrian plaza
Organizers believe the event attracts more families than the old First Friday parties.
Broad Street was transformed Saturday into a pedestrian plaza for the first of the Downtown Saturday series that replaced the old First Friday program. Romans strolled the street to check out arts and crafts vendors, entertainment and, of course, the Broad Street businesses.
Downtown Development Authority Chairman Bob Blumberg, owner of Johnny’s New York Style Pizza and Season restaurant, said the Downtown Saturday concept has created more of a family atmosphere than the former First Friday concert series.
“For the downtown merchants it’s definitely an improvement,” Blumberg said.
The crowd is downtown during the day when most of the merchants are open.
The crowd watching tiny dancers at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Broad Street during the Downtown Rome Saturday event stretches across the roadway.
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That’s as opposed to the Friday night concert series which generally benefited the restaurants but was not as much of a draw for the other businesses that do not stay open late into the evening.
The sidewalk cafes in front of most of the Broad Street businesses were full much of the day.
Some merchants who have been on Broad Street for decades said they could remember when Saturday was a big day downtown because people who worked all week would come to town to do their shopping on Saturdays.
“It’s like we’ve come full circle,” said Jan Fergerson at Ford, Gittings & Kane Jewelers, 312 Broad St. “Today we brought in jewelry, pottery and floral artisans and had them on the street. Our customers still came in and it was a lot of fun, like a carnival.”
Like Blumberg, Fergerson said it was particularly gratifying to see a lot of families together on the street.
Other shops actually had tents set up out on the street in front of their store to extend their reach to customers who may have been a little shy
Sally Kerestes (from left), Cheryl Riner Hodge and Janet Byington talk about Byington’s book “I Don’t Wanna Wear a Crown,” illustrated by Hodge. The booth was one of many on Broad Street for the Downtown Rome Saturday event.
Josie Smith, 3 of Rome, slides down one of the inflatables. Several blocks were closed off to vehicles for the party.
about actually coming inside the Downtown shops and boutiques.
Festivities concluded with the first Lantern Parade on Broad Street. Doug Walker / Doug Walker / Doug Walker / RN-T RN-T RN-T TODAY
PRAI Beauty will be paying all adoption fees today at PAWS, 99 North Ave. Free adoptions will be available from 1-5 p.m.
MONDAY
Ridge & Valley Storytelling Guild
A Time to Tell: A Time for Adult Storytelling on Monday from 6:307:30 p.m. in the Oostanaula Room at the Rome-Floyd County Library, 205 Riverside Parkway. Share a story or listen to others tell theirs. For more information email TerrellShaw@me.com.
Habitat for Humanity will hold Habitat Family selection meetings at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on at the Rome-Floyd County Library, 205 Riverside Parkway. Anyone interested in seeing if they can qualify to be a Habitat Family must attend one of these meetings. For more information call 706378-0030.
The Boys from Tubize/Celanese will meet for breakfast on Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. at Landmark Restaurant, 2740 Martha Berry Highway.
Greater Rome Society for Human Resource Management will meet at Hawthorn Suites, 110 Second Ave., on
from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Garner and Glover is sponsoring the meeting and will be presenting “The Opioid Crisis: Considerations for employers.”
Chieftains Museum/Major Ridge Home, 501 Riverside Parkway, will present an exhibit on the history of the organization in Rome and Floyd County titled “A Legacy of Service: The Junior Service League of Rome” through The exhibit includes seven text panels and chronicles the history and achievements of the Junior Service League from its beginning in 1934 through the present-day. Admission to the exhibit is included with regular museum admission. For more information contact the museum at 706-291-9494 or visit their website at www. chieftainsmuseum.org.
and the are sponsoring an for the 2018 One Table event. Anyone interested in submitting art depicting the message of One Table should contact Nedra Manner in person at Yellow Door Antiques, 219 N. Fifth Ave., or via Facebook. The deadline will be
Winning artwork will become the property of One Community United to use in promotional material for One Table on Sept. 23.
on June 2. More than 1,000 people are needed to create a mile-long chain of inner tubes and inflatables. Regular registration is $25, with children 12 and younger floating for free. Group registration rates are available. Participants receive a T-shirt, tube rental and shuttle service to and from the river. Afterwards there will be food, music and games at Heritage Park. For more information about group participation and event sponsorships email Shira Kerce at skerce@ coosa.org. For more information contact Jesse Demonbreun-Chapman at 706-2322724 or jesse@coosa.org.
is accepting applications for the “A Brush with Kindness” program. The program assists homeowners in Floyd County by painting and performing minor repairs on the exterior of their homes. The homeowner repays the cost of the materials and supplies through a no-interest loan. Applications may be picked up at the ReStore, 95 Three Rivers Drive. There is a $10 fee for a background check. Homeowners will be required to make a 10-percent down payment on the estimated cost of the project.
To list an event email RomeNewsTribune@ RN-T.com or call 706-290-5252.