Tradition connects Augustans with the visual arts for almost ten years
Elise Maloney
Issue date: 10/27/09 Section: Arts & Life
Saxophones, guitars and drums boom through downtown Augusta every first Friday of the month.
No matter the weather, downtown Augusta welcomes First Friday guests with open arms and lots of entertainment. Melissa Sherwood, community program director for the Greater Augusta Arts Council, sai First Friday originally started as an easy stroll down Broad Street.
"It originally started to be more of a gallery stroll," Sherwood said. "Galleries would have new work displayed those nights."
According to Danny Kotz, a local musician, First Friday started around 1999. Kotz became involved in First Friday through the local music scene.
"I got involved because of the Playground bar when they started having open mike nights," Kotz said.
According to Kotz, First Friday used to go on until it would just stop. The crowds during the evenings were mostly middle age. However, when the clock struck 11, people would come out to party.
"That's when it stepped up a little," Kotz said. "It became a little more like a party, and less like a festival."
According to Kotz, there was one instance in the past were someone left a bar and started a little brawl. However, Kotz said that the main problem started with the business owners. Everything shut down at 10 p.m. without the public's knowledge. Therefore, Kotz said, downtown was full of people, some intoxicated, with nowhere to go.
"You're always going to have something you can point at during any event," Kotz said. "Gosh, compare it to any part of the country or the world and this is about as mild and tame a situation that ever comes along."
According to Sherwood, the Augusta Chronicle labeled the event "The First Friday Riot," and there was even talk about canceling the event.
"You get thousands of people downtown, and the fact that more doesn't happen surprises me," Sherwood said.
According to Sherwood, First Friday festivals take place all over the country. The vast majority of these festivals focus on the visual arts. However, for one gallery on Broad Street, First Friday has done little to impact its business.
No matter the weather, downtown Augusta welcomes First Friday guests with open arms and lots of entertainment. Melissa Sherwood, community program director for the Greater Augusta Arts Council, sai First Friday originally started as an easy stroll down Broad Street.
"It originally started to be more of a gallery stroll," Sherwood said. "Galleries would have new work displayed those nights."
According to Danny Kotz, a local musician, First Friday started around 1999. Kotz became involved in First Friday through the local music scene.
"I got involved because of the Playground bar when they started having open mike nights," Kotz said.
According to Kotz, First Friday used to go on until it would just stop. The crowds during the evenings were mostly middle age. However, when the clock struck 11, people would come out to party.
"That's when it stepped up a little," Kotz said. "It became a little more like a party, and less like a festival."
According to Kotz, there was one instance in the past were someone left a bar and started a little brawl. However, Kotz said that the main problem started with the business owners. Everything shut down at 10 p.m. without the public's knowledge. Therefore, Kotz said, downtown was full of people, some intoxicated, with nowhere to go.
"You're always going to have something you can point at during any event," Kotz said. "Gosh, compare it to any part of the country or the world and this is about as mild and tame a situation that ever comes along."
According to Sherwood, the Augusta Chronicle labeled the event "The First Friday Riot," and there was even talk about canceling the event.
"You get thousands of people downtown, and the fact that more doesn't happen surprises me," Sherwood said.
According to Sherwood, First Friday festivals take place all over the country. The vast majority of these festivals focus on the visual arts. However, for one gallery on Broad Street, First Friday has done little to impact its business.
Be the first to comment on this story