12 ideas to improve First Fridays

Here are 12 ideas to improve First Fridays submitted by lovely readers like yourself. Take a minute, read through them, and then submit your own. Who knows, maybe you’ll have RVA’s next brilliant idea?

August 16, 2011; 10:54 AM • by Ross Catrow

Last week, we learned that September’s First Friday may be in Jeopardy, and unfortunately (or fortunately?) on Friday the board of Curated Culture, galleries, local businesses, and Downtown Neighborhood Association members got together and decided to cancel September’s event. They’ll take a breather, regroup, and try to figure out how to improve the situation in preparation for October.

There will be a meeting later this month where possible solutions to some of the issues facing the downtown art walk will be discussed. This is where you come in!

Last week we created a forum for you to submit (and vote on) your ideas for improving First Fridays. Well, we want to encourage you to keep submitting ideas by clicking on the link directly following this paragraph.

Submit your ideas for improving First Fridays »

 

To inspire you, below are twelve of, what we think are, the most interesting ideas submitted so far. We want to encourage you to submit your wildest, craziest, most out-there ideas. You never know what will spark something brilliant.

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“I believe the media coverage of FF presented a negative portrait of a huge success story in RVA. First Fridays has helped changed this city for the better. We need to embrace the popularity and plan for it – Not reduce it. Keep it safe and expand!”

 

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“Get ART 180 involved–have teachers at different spots leading music, art, dance. Get Elegba Folklore Society more involved–drumming, dancing, etc. WE need more art–not less!”

 

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“Prohibit live music and broadcasting music outside on the street. Instead, invite musicians to play inside galleries. Encourage flow in and out of galleries instead of crowding on sidewalks.”

 

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“Ask a dozen kids from John Marshall and Armstrong to sit down with businesses, galleries, and the Curated Culture folks. Talk about what the kids like about First Fridays and what they’d like to see happen.”

 

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“Get rid of parking on Broad Street and allow attendees to walk in the parking lanes on either side of the street.”

 

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“Have the First Fridays group get in touch with the Va Beach officials. Va Beach Oceanfront had the same problem years ago and have now made it a safe, family friendly area.”

 

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“Close a side street & designate it as “live music corridor” … make this street a curated live music event with $100 prize, and sell ‘booths’ or 30 yard strips for each musician in the event. Publish a CD/album w/one track from each month’s winner.”

 

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“Create an art appreciation program that would encourage interested youth to visit multiple galleries and perform tasks, akin to a scavenger hunt.”

 

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“Rope off a large area and make it a beer/wine garden/tasting event. Invite local breweries and wineries to participate in the event. Get some input from the under 21 crowd so what is being offered may be of some interest to them.”

 

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“Create an event for teens in the area to participate in that they are actually interested in. If there is an alternative that they actually want to attend, not something lame, it would give them somewhere else to go besides First Fridays.”

 

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“Strictly enforce jaywalking laws”

 

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“Instead of First Fridays, why not try First Saturdays and do it during the day hours ~ 10-4? 11-2?”

 

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Submit your ideas for improving First Fridays »

 

August 16, 2011 10:54 AM 0