Main Street Laurens’ Finally Friday, early shopping events tonight
David E and the Band Levelz. Photo by Judith Brown
David E and the Band Levelz will take the stage again as Finally Friday brings back the Upstate group for the last Finally Friday of the year.
“Everybody loves this band and David’s music and his style, so we wanted to bring him back as our final performer,” said Main Street Laurens director Jonathan Irick.
This last Finally Friday will also include several food trucks, and downtown businesses will be open late for early holiday shopping.
It’s a great preview to the holiday season, Irick said, as Main Street Laurens will be gearing up for its Dec. 3 tree lighting ceremony and the 5 p.m. Christmas parade on Saturday, Dec. 4.
Main Street businesses have also joined forces to present Wine and Wishlists, a new shopping activity set for Tuesday afternoon and evening, Nov. 23. Shops will be giving samples of wine and providing cards so that shoppers can fill out wishlist cards and leave them on file at the participating businesses.
“Main Street is promoting this great event for these businesses which have been proactive to catch shoppers early before Black Friday and even before Shop Small Saturday,” Irick said, adding that COVID concerns last year helped many local shoppers realize the benefits of sticking close to home for their Christmas shopping.
So far 15 different businesses will be participating, Irick said.
Small Business Saturday, Nov. 27, will include a Downtown Craft Fair and businesses will have specials in place.
Then during the night of the Dec. 3 tree lighting, there will be activities for children, such as marshmallow roasting and hot cocoa.
“We have so much going on,” Irick said, “so we’ve tried to make it really easy for anyone who needs to reg- ister for the Downtown Craft Fair and the Christmas parade to register and pay entry fees online at mainstreetlaurens.org.”
The Christmas parade, which will follow the traditional route backwards this year, will again be an evening parade, and Irick encourages all floats and participants to use lights in their designs both for safety and creativity.
The Laurens Police Department is working with Main Street in planning the Christmas parade, which will begin near Roses on Caroline Street and finish near the library. The police department liked this plan, Irick said, because it alleviates some of the dangerous traffic issues at the end of the previous parades.
