LAKE WORTH TO FEATURE MONTHLY BLOCK PARTY
Summer is gone and fall is here. No one is happier about that than downtown Lake Worth business owners. “You know what has really affected our business?” asked Carrie Childs, co-owner of CarriElle’s Closet, an upscale women’s clothing store on North K Street. “The heat. Who wants to be walking outside in this ridiculous weather? We’re looking forward to the temps dropping.” She’s also looking forward to Lake Ave Block Party, a new monthly event starting Friday on Lake Avenue from 6 to 10 p.m. “I’m expecting a good turnout and think it’ll go pretty well,” said Sylvio Pierre-Louis, Lake Worth’s special events manager. “A lot of businesses are very happy about it.” Pierre-Louis said the city has signed bands for the next three months — SoleMack (Friday); Rock Doctors (Nov. 2) and ZBRA (Dec. 7). The city will close down the busy street and have live bands, food vendors and a car and bike show. “It’ll be a proper street party,” said Ben Kerr, city spokesman. The event, Kerr said, is not a rehash or a continuation of Evening on the Avenue, a weekly event last year. “That was another event, but it was canceled and this is new this year,” he said. The motorcycles will be right outside the Shred Shed, a skateboard shop on Lake Avenue. “Anything that brings people down to Lake Avenue is good,” said Joe Varricchio, store owner. “Anything new is great. It can’t hurt, it can only help.” Phyllis Plaskett-Brooks, owner of Magnolia Boutique on South J Street, hopes the events will bring her more customers. “We really slowed down in the summer,” she said. “We’re new here, but everyone around us has been saying this is the worst summer for people coming downtown. Everyone anticipates the summer to be slow, but they never expected it to be this slow. We hope it picks up in October.” Plaskett-Brooks said it would be good if the Block Party was every Friday. “That would be nice,” she said. “Having it once a month, I don’t know.” Ernesto Salazar, manager of EAS Shipping, likes having it once a month. “What we’ve had here in Lake Worth has been good, but we need something a little bigger with more pizzazz in the neighborhood,” he said. “The Friday things get a little bit routine. It’s better to desire something and to look forward to something than having it every Friday.” Laura Garofalo, owner of Starlight Salon on South J Street, said the event will lure more people downtown. “I know the town is really trying to get more people down here,” she said. Darin Onam, owner of Haci Asian Cuisine and Grill, said the more people downtown should mean more money for her restaurant. “Business is not crazy, but not too bad,” she said. “In this area, we get all the local people who come to support us.” There has been a lot of changes downtown with businesses closing (Saito’s Restaurant), others moving (Starbucks and Studio 205) to nearby locations and some opening (NoDoSo, Solid Image Tattoo Co.) Childs said she knows everybody is wondering if the change is good, bad or indifferent. She said she knows the answer. “It’s good,” she said. “We’re so excited and very hopeful about this new event. We’re hoping that people will want to get out.”