MANSFIELD, Ohio – Mansfield’s First Friday Shop Hop is coming early this year. On Friday, March 6 the downtown carrousel district businesses will keep their doors open a little longer.
The First Friday Shop Hop is an initiative to stimulate business growth in the downtown area, but it also encourages a sense of community. Downtown shops work together to draw a crowd of friendly and familiar faces of community residents and visitors.
Many shops offer deals or special events. Last year, Relax, It’s Just Coffee held concerts and Open Mic nights. There are however, some new shops in town and they will spend the evening celebrating.
Tog Loft, a downtown studio space for photographers, will be celebrating their expansion to a second floor with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Owner Tracy Graziani said the ceremony will be extra special since her grandfather is planning to attend.
“We didn’t have a ribbon-cutting ceremony last year because his health was shaky and we didn’t think he was going to make it. But he’s healthy and he’s going to be there this year. It’s so important to me that he comes; he’s been a role model,” said Graziani.
Tog Loft just finished expanding to an additional studio space right above their original space in downtown. It’s located right next door to City Grille and Olive Us. The additional space will be used for rentable studio space for photographers and photography classes. It will also host an office for The Web Coach, Donna Payne.
Next door to Tog Loft, Olive Us is another one of the downtown businesses with their doors open for the Shop Hop. The store, which opened its doors to the community in 2014, sells gourmet olive oils, balsamic vinegars, sea salts and more.
Element of Art, located at 96 North Main St., is kicking off Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month with their first silent auction. For sale are pieces that include paintings, photographs, jewelry, and pottery crafted by their clients, individuals with developmental disabilities affiliated with Richland Newhope Industries, Inc.
“We have really beautiful and creative pieces, it’s hard to pick a favorite,” stated Art Coordinator Kathy Goodwin.
She also stated that the event will feature musician Hugo Nida from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. And Newhope’s City Garden Cafe will provide hors d’oeurvres.
Main Street Books will feature their own artistic efforts with an art show dubbed The Improper Shelf. Artists and non-artists were encouraged to repurpose books into works of art. One artist, for example, repurposed an old book into a pop-out children’s book.
There are more stores featuring music, products, or sales as Downtown Mansfield transforms downtown into a buffet of shopping experience on First Friday Shop Hops. The downtown event starts at 5 p.m. Check out Downtown Mansfield Inc.’s website or Facebook page for more information, or call 419-522-0099.
