Yes, it can be done. Sixteen hundred at FridayFest. A thousand at the Hard Hat Tour. No telling how many at the stadium for the Jaguars’ draft day party.
If you build on something, they’ll come downtown.
A lot of people did a lot of work for the three events and pulled them off with only the glitches that come from underestimating how many will actually attend.
FridayFest planned for about 500. The Hard Hatters had an outrageous hope for 500. The Jags . . . well, they really didn’t worry if more than anticipated showed up, because they had a whole stadium for people.
Thoughts on each:
• FridayFest gained momentum from a lot of good advertising and hard work in bringing committees together. Downtown Vision, Inc. can think of a lot of ways to spend its money, but let’s hope it sees the benefit of getting that many people in one place. More bars, please. The only discord was the long wait to get a drink. (And you don’t need the coupons for free beer; more than a few homeless got hold of them, and we don’t need to tempt those people.)
• The Hard Hat Tour will be bigger next year, so start planning now. The property owners were thrilled; the two I visited were ready to sign up right away, and probably double their contribution. The Tour was done by the Chamber’s Downtown Council and they may have gotten a little lucky: it was the same day as the Jags’ draft, and lots of people rode around to the housing sites, then went to the stadium for the draft. The NFL hasn’t set the date for the 2003 draft, but they’ll have it by this fall.
• The Jags’ party was loads of fun and the team is seeing what happens when they put forth a more friendly face. There were plenty of players around and all seemed pleased to be there and to visit with the fans. There was plenty to drink (enough bartenders, too!) This can be built into a citywide party and our suggestion to the Jags: let other groups (like the Hard Hat Tour promoters) get involved and coordinate things. Might someone put on a Metro Park concert in the evening?
April 19, 20 and 21. If you like downtown, you loved the weekend.
— Fred Seely is editorial
director of the Daily Record.