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DDA touts events but residents and merchants warn First Fridays don't convert to sales
Summary
Promotion committee praised event turnout, including a large First Friday crowd, while a public commenter and board members said visitors often do not enter local shops; organizers said fundraising and merchant training will be emphasized.
Members of the Downtown Adrian Development Authority on Oct. 8 highlighted a successful events season but acknowledged merchant concerns that large crowds have not consistently turned into sales.
“Saturday was wonderful... The attendance was good,” said Don Taylor, a 28-year resident and past chair of Artlicious, during public comment. He praised volunteers and said Artlicious runs on about a $25,000 annual budget. Taylor warned that arts funding has been inconsistent: “For the last 12 years, we've averaged $10,362 a year from the Michigan Arts and Culture Council,” he said, and noted that last year the event received no funding after an application error.
Promotion chair Kate reported a strong turnout for the last outdoor First Friday — including a professional wrestling attraction that drew a large crowd — and previewed upcoming events (Witches Night Oct. 9; Fall Fashion Frenzy Oct. 11; Third Thursday Oct. 16 with live music and giant pumpkin carving; and downtown trick-or-treat Oct. 25).
But a board member summarized merchant feedback bluntly: “There was a lot of people here, but they weren't spending any money downtown at all,” noting store managers reported little in-store traffic despite street crowds.
Jacob Cooper and Jay Marks urged a partnership approach. Marks described a recent training for businesses called “the last 30 feet” designed to help convert visitors into customers. “We can take the horse to water…We can't make it drink,” Marks said, urging merchants to use the training to improve in-store conversion.
Jacob said the fundraising committee will pursue a multi-tiered strategy combining large donors, sponsorship packages for small businesses and grassroots options to ensure events and the Comstock Riverwalk parade/tree-lighting remain viable without double-asking local donors.
Kate and other organizers asked for volunteers to support promotion and acknowledged that the DDA provides marketing and logistical help but cannot market each business individually. The board confirmed downtown trick-or-treat is scheduled for Oct. 25 from 4:30–6:30 p.m., noted that more than 50,000 pieces of candy have been purchased, and said the city will provide full-size candy bars for distribution.
The board did not adopt new policy or alter funding allocations at the meeting; members asked committees to gather merchant input and report back.
