CELEBRATIONS
38
effective economic tools for downtown. When it started we
only had a couple of restaurants and now we have about 13.”
When Friday Fest closes at 8:30, restaurants that are open
are likely to get a visit from some of the people leaving the
event. “Friday Fest has done real well for me,” said Bryan
Long, owner of The Yellowtail Grille on North Second Street.
Donna Burke, who manages both Cobb’s Landing and The
Tiki restaurants on Avenue A by the marina, appreciates the
extra business on Friday Fest evenings. “It’s great for us, and
anything that brings people into the downtown is good for
business,” she said. “It certainly has grown, and we hope
it continues.”
Friday Fest’s value lies primarily in its ability to draw
people into downtown and show them that it is an attractive
place with interesting shops and restaurants, Tillman said, but
the event itself isn’t a big moneymaker for Main Street and
nets only about $25,000 a year. “I would say that over the past
three years it’s brought in about 8.5 percent of our budget.
“The funds from Friday Fest are put into general revenue
and used for the many things that Main Street does. Friday
Fest has been going on for 20 years and the funds from this
have been used on many of our projects, events, marketing
studies, landscape projects and other things we do in
downtown.”
Friday Fest has also spread to other cities.
“What is amazing is how many other cities have started
Friday Fest,” Tillman said. “Some call it that, others change
the name, but most of these cities are Main Street programs.”
>>
MAIN STREET FORT PIERCE PHOTOS
After moving from PJ Clark’s, Friday Fest was held on Second Street and Atlantic Avenue in front of the Sunrise Theatre. Above, a jazz band led by Charlie
Bloehm on saxophone and Snookie Brown on keyboard plays during those early years.