The City of Thomasville’s First Friday Sip and Shop series will continue in a modified manner from 6:00-10:00 p.m. on Friday, September 3rd. Downtown is ready to greet guests with world-class shopping and dining experiences, as well as piped-in music throughout the event area. However, out of an abundance of caution and to help protect the health of citizens, guests, and staff, the First Friday main stage concert has been postponed.
“Postponing the First Friday main stage concert is not a decision that was made lightly,” said Alan Carson, City Manager. “The pandemic continues to be a rapidly evolving situation and the health and well-being of our residents, visitors and staff is our number one priority. With COVID cases in our community rising, there is a greater strain on our local hospital and healthcare facilities. It is important to the City to be a good partner to our local healthcare systems and postponing the main stage concert is one way to do that.”
Attendees to the First Friday Sip and Shop are invited to enjoy the music that will be piped in throughout the event area from 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., a format that allows for greater social distancing than a traditional concert. “Sip and shop attendees can grab their favorite beer or wine from a participating downtown merchant and enjoy sipping and shopping throughout beautiful downtown Thomasville, including our many outdoor spaces,” said Christy Owens, Main Street, and Special Events Manager. “The concert is postponed but the extended shopping and dining hours offered by our participating merchants provide an opportunity to enjoy an evening in downtown.”
In addition to being fun, shopping and dining in downtown is an excellent way to support the local economy. “The Sip and Shop series was created in collaboration between the City of Thomasville’s Office of Downtown and Tourism Development, downtown merchants, and the Main Street Advisory Board. These events are a great way for guests to continue supporting the small local businesses that are the backbone of our community,” said Owens. “Shopping local helps support our local economy and job market, giving strength to the unique destination that our downtown has become.”
Owens encourages guests visiting downtown to continue practicing safe social distancing and good hand hygiene while enjoying their visit. “Handwashing stations continue to be strategically located throughout the downtown area, and all public restrooms and outdoor seating areas are also regularly sanitized,” said Owens. “In addition, there are many outdoor dining areas available throughout downtown. Providing our guests with healthy, safe, and socially distanced opportunities to support our downtown merchants remains a top priority for us.”
All City sponsored events will continue to follow the CDC guidelines for public health. “We will continue to monitor the current status of the virus in our area with the hopes of resuming the regular First Friday main stage concerts soon,” said Carson. “We know how much these events are enjoyed by our community, but our priority, for now, is to make safe decisions that support both our local downtown merchants and the efforts of our healthcare partners.”
For more information about the First Friday Sip and Shop events, visit downtownthomasville.com or call the Thomasville Visitors Center at 229-228-7977.
Pictured above: Guests shopping in downtown Thomasville