Have you heard of Marietta Main Street? If you’re active on social media, you might have seen us pop up in your feed from time to time, and if you’ve ever come to downtown Marietta for an event, it’s more than likely you’ve experienced a piece of what we do! Events like the Rivers, Trails, and Ales Festival, the Merchants & Artists Walks, the Merry-Etta Christmas Parade, Cash Mob Mondays, and the Farmers Market on Front Street (to name a few) all fall under our umbrella.

We are gearing up to launch a new program in 2017: First Fridays! First Fridays occur the first Friday of each month, January through December, and feature downtown shops open late, themed storefront windows, art, music, refreshments, etc. Each month will have a theme and will incorporate local businesses and organizations outside of downtown into the events.

January’s theme is Fire & Ice. A variety of custom-carved ice sculptures will be staged throughout downtown Marietta featuring the artistry of local chefs and designed for the businesses that sponsored each sculpture. Sponsors like the Marietta/Washington County CVB, the Marietta Morning Rotary, Morrison Incorporated, Hall Financial Advisors, and Marietta College will be featured alongside businesses like Baker & Baker Jewelers, American Flags & Poles, Schafer Leather Store, Just A Jar Design Press, Top Drawer Furniture & Design, and the Riverside Artists Gallery.

In addition to the ice sculptures, the Armory will house two fire performances by local group The Burning Dawn at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. that evening.

Participating shops will feature live music, local artists, and refreshments based on the shop.

Another fun feature of each First Friday is the ability to win a great gift for every purchase you make! Each month will feature one big giveaway provided by a local business to be raffled away based on how much you shop. For every $10 spent in a particular shop downtown, shoppers will receive a raffle ticket to turn in to Main Street and the winner will be announced the following day. January’s gift basket is provided by THRIVEfiit, a local fitness and nutrition program focusing on wellness, which is perfect for the new year! Learn more about THRIVEfiit on their Facebook page @thrivefittllc.

Mark your calendars for January 6th and join us in downtown Marietta for First Friday!

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