Wednesday, September 21, 2011

First Friday Follies

First Fridays has been a success beyond, I am sure, even the most optimistic prognosticators. So let us destroy it.

A little background. To the best of my recollection, the idea of First Fridays was introduced by former mayor Jim Smith's wife Joyce, who had witnessed such an event in Michigan. I for one thought it a bit silly to have on a Friday as I thought a full fledged street festival or two would have been a better idea. Anyway, First Friday's began several years ago as an effort to get folks downtown to beef up exposure and sales at downtown businesses. Fastforward to today and we routinely have thousands of people flocking to downtown for First Fridays. For the most part the crowd is pretty upscale and largely devoid of troublemakers. And the crowds have increased in part because the city, wisely in my view, has opted to look the other way with respect to open intoxicants on the sidewalks. People just like to walk around with a beer now and again. Regarding sales, as a downtown retailer, I can attest to the fact that First Fridays is not just a drinking event. People buy stuff and that was the whole idea.

But leave it to a handful of the perpetually disgruntled to have an axe to grind. The crowds are too big! Someone has been sneaking in alcohol in a cooler! Someone might get drunk and cause trouble! We might get sued!

The solution to these minor or hypothetical problems is of course to crack down on the open intoxicants on the street according to the pd's - the perpetually disgruntled's. The pd's are seeking meetings with the mayor, the chief of police or whomever else might work to undermine the event. If they are loud and determined enough, they might just force the hand of law enforcement, who may then crack down on the open intoxicants. Before long the crowds will dwindle, the enthusiasm will be gone, the event will wither away along with the customers and the sales. But hey, at least we won't get sued!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

What makes you think First Friday should be any more or less required to obey "open intoxicants" than, say, Brew Fest Saturday's, or, the Pride Parade?

Denis Navratil said...

Typically many cities will allow alcohol on the streets for special events. They should do the same for First Fridays and to this point they have.

Downtown Brown said...

Well first of all you beat me to it.. But I will be posting later today. Either at LiberTEARacine or Real debate Wisconsin

Anonymous said...

God forbid the person holding a beer has a cigarette in his other hand! The perpetually offended (as I call them) are selective in their outrage. Wouldn't these be the same folks who didn't say a peep when real troublemakers (like the thugs shouting down the Governor) ruined the Gateway centenial celebration? Amazing how the city knee-jerk reacts to phantom threats, and yawns when real civil disobediance plays out.

Anonymous said...

With those huge crowds businesses might feel the need yo put bars on the windows. . . oh nevermind.

Anonymous said...

Why dont area business leaders get together and work to elect a real mayor? Dickert is a failure.