Main Street Columbus and downtown merchants are bringing back the Historic Walk Downtown Thursday, Oct. 15.
“This is our second year for it,” said Main Street Columbus Executive Director Barbara Bigelow. “It was such fun last year, we felt we had to do it again.”
From 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, 15 participating merchants will offer after-hours shopping and a glimpse of local history. The event helps commemorate Columbus Day, which officially falls on Monday.
Fact sheets will be available at each business.
“The sheet will contain interesting historical facts about these downtown buildings,” Bigelow explained. “When you enter a building listed on your fact sheet, the store owner or operator can help you determine which fact is part of that building’s history.” Visit at least eight locations and match the fact to be eligible for a grand door prize valued at more than $500.
Katherine Lucas of Main Street Columbus visited the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library to mine intriguing facts for the Walk.
“The library is a great resource,” she said. “Most people don’t know, for example, that one of the buildings was a cigar shop back in the 1930s, or that another was an academy of cosmetology in the 1960s.”
Blaine Walters of the Bride & Groom on Fifth Street South looks forward to sharing the past. The bridal boutique displays several framed photographs of the building as it once was. He previously researched the structure’s history on his own at the library.
“One reason we love downtown so much is because of the history behind it; there are so many stories behind these buildings,” Walters remarked. “There’s a nostalgia and charm to it that you can’t create with a new building. We embrace that history. We’ve fallen in love with our building.”
Cake, prize drawing
After visiting shops, everyone is invited to Leadership Plaza, at the intersection of Fifth Street South and College Street, for Columbus Day cake, followed by the grand prize drawing. Mother Goose will be on hand, as will “Christopher Columbus.” The intrepid explorer whose 1492 arrival in the Americas is celebrated this week will share stories about his trip with the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria.
“We invite everyone downtown Thursday to have some fun while increasing your knowledge of local history,” said Bigelow. “Christmas is just around the corner, so take this opportunity to browse the beautiful merchandise available in our downtown shops.”
For more information, contact Main Street Columbus, 662-328-6305.
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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