If a concept from the Summerland Merchants’ Committee takes hold, the downtown area will have a new vibrancy on Friday evenings this summer.
The plan is to resume the Friday movie nights in Memorial Park and extend shopping hours.
The result would be a casual invitation to experience downtown Summerland, possibly keeping visitors in the community for additional weekend events.
Once visitors are in the area, they will be more likely to stay and enjoy what the community has to offer.
Each of the components of the Friday evening concept has been tried before, but they have not been combined to this extent.
Last summer, the merchants’ committee introduced Friday evening movies in Memorial Park.
In December, store hours were extended on Friday evenings to encourage Christmas shopping.
And in past years, various vendors and entertainers were set up downtown during the numerous one-day festivals Summerland hosted.
By themselves, each of these elements can help to draw people into the downtown area.
Put together, the result could be a strong, festive atmosphere.
Something similar has been working in Penticton with a street market on Saturday mornings during the spring, summer and fall.
For Summerland, extending hours and showing movies on Friday evenings will provide a good introduction to the weekend. The Friday evening attractions also could serve to make Summerland a visitor destination, not just for the evening but for the entire weekend.
Summerland has much to offer. A showcase such as the Friday evening attractions can help to highlight the entire community.