Goshen First Fridays going virtual
GOSHEN, Ind.-- With the coronavirus keeping residents at home, Goshen is doing their part to allow people to still come together for the loved First Fridays event in a whole new way--virtually!
"We didn’t want to rest on our laurels and just skip a month. Especially when there are businesses who are hurting," says First Fridays organizer, Adrienne Nesbitt. "So we know this community it going to step up to the challenge and support these businesses and do what they can even when they are hurting as well. The spirit of generosity the spirit of community we have here in Goshen is really what this is about.”
This will be the first time in 13 years that Goshen's downtown hasn't been filled with local residents--however many are excited to see how this will work on a virtual platform.
"I love to be apart of something we’ve never tried before and who knows maybe it will be the best first Friday we’ve ever had!” says Electric Brew owner, Myron Bontrager.
Bontrager, his wife and son have all been with Electric Brew since they bought the company in 2007 from the original owners and have loved serving their Goshen community ever since.
While things may be different today as the city takes to Facebook to support their local stores by buying $25 gift cards, the experience could hopefully lead to greater customer involvement!
"The virtual I think is a testimony to the creativity and flexibility of who we are in Goshen" says Bontrager.
This First Friday is not only uniquely online, but it is commemorating the "Spring into Action" month where each of the 22 businesses have chosen a local non-profit to support by giving 10% of their total gift card revenue today toward the non-profit of their choice.
For example, Electric Brew is donating funds to the Trees for Goshen group and Fables Books is donating to the Goshen theater.
Another exciting part of the festivities today is a 45-minute concert from Whitehorse.
This special concert will commemorate the cities love for one another and give an opportunity for everyone to be together in that virtual sphere while we all feel so separated.
“We want to continue to be a community," says Kristin Sanger, one of the owners at Fables Books, "And we’re working the best we can so what we need from everybody else is for them to continue to reach out to us as well as we try to reach out to them.”
Many of these 22 locally owned businesses have put their goods on an online store so that anyone can still support them while quarantining at home.
“I think the first Fridays have been wonderful for relationships," says Bontrager. "I think it’s part of the thread that makes Goshen special. We’re working through this together and together we’re stronger.”
To join in on the virtual fun you can go to "The Good of Goshen" or "The City of Goshen" Facebook pages where there will be updates all day Friday, including the concert at 7 p.m. and a variety of videos made from the local businesses themselves.
To see more from the Electric Brew you can find their coffee goods at http://theelectricbrew.com/
And for Fables Books go to https://www.fablesbooks.com/