CELEBRATE DOWNTOWN SALISBURY!

CITY HOLDS THIRD FRIDAY EVENT & COMMEMORATES ANNIVERSARY OF 1886 FIRE

Salisbury Mayor James Ireton, Jr., invites the public to downtown Salisbury this Friday, October 16th, to join in and support Salisbury’s Third Friday Celebration. The fun begins at 5:00 p.m. when businesses, restaurants, and the Art Institute & Gallery will celebrate the fall season by staying open to welcome visitors with music, art displays, light refreshments, special discounts and children’s activities.
To date, participants for the October event include Enza’s, Amber Nicole, Velvet Pearl, Parker Place, CCART, Clay-Ala-Palooza, Uptown Chef, PNC Bank, Market Street Inn, Chesapeake East, Art Institute & Gallery, Season’s Best Antiques, Kuhn’s Jewelers, Body Pro, Downtown Barber, Anthony’s Deli, Beauty in Motion, Yum Restaurant, Flavors Italian Grille, Sushi De Kanpai, EXIT Shore Realty, and Big Brothers & Big Sisters.

Musical entertainment for the evening will feature a number of talented local and regional performers including Blue Light Special, Alex and Shiloh, Alex Wersen & Friends, the Near East Family, Mt. Organ, and Jake Travis/Alex DeMartin. Musicians will be interspersed along East and West Main Street in a “street fair” atmosphere, along with visual artists showcasing their original art work. A number of downtown restaurants will also feature live entertainment.

Third Friday will include other fun attractions including face painting and bowling with pumpkins at Parker Place, live music at Season’s Best Antiques & Collectibles, and makeup demonstrations at Velvet Pearl. Kuhn’s Jewelers will host a book signing featuring author Mindie Burgoyne and her new publication Haunted Eastern Shore: Ghostly Tales from East of the Chesapeake – an opportunity for attendees to discover the otherworldly occupants of Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

This month, a special event will be held in conjunction with Third Friday – FireFest 2009. FireFest 2009 commemorates the 123rd anniversary of the fire in 1886 that destroyed downtown Salisbury. The FireFest 2009 celebration will include a parade of Fire Department vehicles beginning at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, October 16th. The parade will begin at Baptist Street, go down East Main Street to N. Division Street, and end in front of the Government Office Building. A commemorative ceremony will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Government Office Building. Special thanks to Urban Salisbury, the Salisbury Fire Department, the Nabb Research Center at Salisbury University, the Wicomico County Board of Education, and downtown businesses for making the FireFest 2009 event possible.

Urban Salisbury’s Arts & Entertainment Steering Committee is assisting in this Third Friday initiative as part of the revitalization of Downtown Salisbury. Similar celebrations are held monthly in Arts & Entertainment Districts in Berlin, Cambridge and Snow Hill.

“The work of Urban Salisbury and its spirited group of volunteers is paying off,” said Mayor Ireton. “Watch for my YouTube videos promoting the events. Please join us to celebrate. See you downtown Friday night!”

For additional information on Third Friday, call 410-860-0657.