First Friday Showcases What Community Means to Grants Pass
May is a big time of year for the city of Grants Pass. The flowers are in bloom, the sun is out to stay, and the local events are in full swing. For local businesses this means a time of tourists and sales with most of small businesses gaining the largest part of their retail income during this time of the year. Ah-May-Zing May, as it is locally referred to, is the start to the biggest time of the year for the community, with the annual First Friday of May being the kickoff point and start of the busy season.
This year the First Friday for May was held on May 4th, and as always, kept in its downtown Grants Pass location. Walking through the streets of Grants Pass the shops stay open later so locals and tourists can peruse through the evening while listening to resident street musicians and gazing at stunning art all while the smell of popcorn and blossoms fill the air. Local schools set up booths and tables to sell things like raffle tickets and candy for fundraising. Meanwhile, musicians of varied genres set up their equipment with open instrument cases waiting patiently for tips from music lovers passing by.
Locally crafted pottery sits for sale in the Grants Pass Museum of Art on First Friday, May 4th, in Grants Pass. (Summer Mincks)
The local galleries, like the Grants Pass Museum of Art, also stays open late into the evening with local artists there to chat with visitors about their work. A celebrated painter paints the evening away while onlookers watch him go about his mastery. The walls were lined from floor to ceiling with paintings from various artists from across Oregon while shelves and display tables were filled with locally crafted pieces of pottery and crafts. On the front desk, fliers could be seen featuring various classes and events, including a sale of pottery crafts made by students of our local Rogue Community College. This atmosphere was made all the sweeter with trays of fresh fruits and sweet treats made open for guests to enjoy as they wandered through the building observing Southern Oregon Art at its finest.
The Grants Pass High School Jazz band performed their finest work on the patio of Goodness Gracious Café in hopes of raising more funds for their trip to New York to march in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The group wowed the crowd with their skill while a happy couple could be seen on the sidelines sharing in a light-hearted dance. Though the wind blew their sheet music and there were a few technical difficulties, the band played beautifully and without fault through the commotion. This level of skill further demonstrated just why they have earned their place to play in the biggest parade in America for all the world to see.
Spring is in full bloom still as the sun begins to set in downtown Grants Pass, and even metal utilities cannot escape the power that is nature in Southern Oregon. (Summer Mincks)
Longtime local favorite, Blind Georges News Stand, stayed busy selling scoops of ice cream by the hundreds and their classically done popcorn by the two gallon sized bags. Walking in you are greeted with the smell of freshly popped popcorn and the sound of children excitedly chatting about just what flavor of ice cream they would be choosing. In the meantime in shops like the glitzy and trendy Fiona Bean, filled to the brim with items unique and whimsical, a similar sentiment could be felt. Workers, beaming with smiles, spent what seemed like more time visiting with their customers than pushing sales. Each patron that walked through the door was greeted like a dear friend and often were hugged or complimented. Atmospheres like that is what gives shops in downtown Grants Pass such a unique bond with the community.
Sarena Deleon, a local hairstylist and owner of Moxie Salon, attended First Friday with her husband, Ryan, and their two children.
“It's always a staple to stop by Blind George's for ice cream and popcorn on First Friday,” Sarena says, “The kids really enjoyed the petting zoo and my favorite was visiting the newly revamped Wild Rogue Emporium. They did a beautiful job on the decor; the inventory is incredible and the women working there were so fun and personable!”
Seeing the crowded streets and stores filled with patrons was a good sign of things to come for local businesses in Grants Pass through the summer months. With the majority of their profits coming during the tourist season, to have the kick off show such promise in terms of the quantity of customers keeps hopes high. Small businesses are the backbone of America, being the unsung heroes behind any stable economy. Not only do these help the local community, but shopping and supporting local can also extend benefits on a global scale.
A local street musician sits along side some of the classical architecture, common throughout Grants Pass, to play for visitors passing by, on First Friday, May 4th, 2018. (Summer Mincks)
But for Grants Pass, the events throughout the year, and the First Friday of each month is not just about the sales and economy. First Friday is the best way to see Grants Pass as a whole. It is a culmination of the people, places, and things that make our community what it is. Through the art, music, shops, and food, First Friday is a symbol of commitment that the vast majority of the population has to our community. It is a longtime tradition that allows for numerous members of the community, coming from various backgrounds, cultures, and social status to get together and truly appreciate Grants Pass for what it is. Grants Pass is its own melting pot of sorts, in a class and group all its own, the likes of which you just cannot experience anywhere else. Beyond the stigmas and political arenas, First Friday allows visitors to see the town for what it is: a uniquely creative and positively eclectic, small town community.
