First Fridays campaign aims to promote local businesses after dark
VENICE It’s not just the freaks who are emerging at night.
Residents too are discovering that Venice has a pulse once the sun goes down, thanks to a new marketing and community service campaign entitled “First Fridays,” in which local merchants stay open late — 10 p.m. — on the first Friday of every month, enticing shoppers with special discounts, free food and live entertainment in an effort to revive Venice’s nightlife.
Tonight will be the third installment of the campaign, which began in June as a way to drum up more support for the small businesses along Abbot Kinney Boulevard who face an uncertain future as rents rapidly rise and chain stores threaten to dot the streetscape.
Supporters say the campaign is working. More stores are remaining open longer, and not just on Fridays, but every day, creating a different climate in the area, which has traditionally been known as a sleepy beach community with little to do after dark except hop from one bar to another.
“It started off slow, but we are really starting to pick up some steam,” said Amanda Dugan, owner of Brick Lane, a clothing bou-tique that sells only items from the United Kingdom. “I think it’s great, and not just for the vendors, but for the whole community. It’s good for people to come out late on a Friday night and wander around their neighborhoods and mingle with other people.
“It’s really about creating a community and it’s starting to do well.”
First Fridays is a collaborative effort that includes local merchants, the Venice Neighborhood Council and the Venice Chamber of Commerce. More than 50 business are expected to participate tonight.
The campaign is an outgrowth of the ongoing movement to block chain stores from setting up shop along trendy Abbot Kinney and Ocean Front Walk — a popular tourist destinations known for eclectic offerings, street performers and local artisans.
When Pinkberry yogurt opened in May, locals formed a non-profit called Venice Unchained. The group has circulated a petition calling on the Los Angeles City Council to pass a ban on chains and is urging residents to boycott Pinkberry to deter other corporations from coming in.
Michael Newhouse, an 11-year-resident of Venice and a member of the Venice Neighborhood Council, came up with the idea for First Fridays, wanting to find a “more neutral, market-based solution” that could work in conjunction with a ban, which may never be approved.
“I felt that if we could get some recognizable event that really helps strengthen the businesses financially, we could fortify the street as a place to get unique items and preserve the locality and the sense of community on Abbot Kinney,” Newhouse said.
First Fridays isn’t all about business. There is a philanthropic component as well. Businesses and their customers are encouraged to donate food for the needy. At each participating location, customers can drop off canned goods or other pre-packaged products that will go to the Vera Davis McClendon Adult & Youth Center, where the items will be distributed amongst individuals and families in need.
Last month, merchants and their customers donated more than 200 pairs of shoes for Soles4Souls, a group that provides shoes to those who cannot afford them or have been through a natural disaster.
“I’ve never been fortunate enough to be in a community where the resources and the need coexist,” said Clifford McClain, manager of the center. “Usually, we have to go outside of the community to try and get some help, but right here, we have next-door neighbors who are doing well … This is really exciting to me, to bring the community together where folks that can help, help those folks who are in need.”
Newhouse said First Fridays will continue to help local non-profits and others providing services to the community.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 3, 2007. Read the original PDF.