First Saturdays Downtown St. Joe

Marketing downtown St. Joseph---by enhancing downtown through the arts and enhancing the arts through downtown.

Did you not get the memo?  First Saturdays in downtown St. Joseph, MO are already happening.  Some local businesses have taken upon themselves to organize events by utilizing the arts to help market the heart of our city.

First Saturdays on facebook

I've often wondered why St. Joe has never picked up on this trend before, as businesses and organizations try hard to encourage downtown growth. The art walk in the past simply didn't catch on, exhibits were only a day long.  Nearly every city in our area has adopted these types of attractions for a number of years now; First Fridays in Kansas City and Omaha, Final Fridays in Lawrence, Topeka, and Wichita, and many others (link to an article below).  Maybe we just didn't get it.  Maybe we never heard about it.  Maybe there wasn't enough interest.  Or maybe we were just sitting around twiddling our thumbs waiting for the guy down the street to get things going.  What ever the reason, with a venue such has Paradox and the Lucky Tiger kicking things off, things can finally take shape.  Something like the Paradox can be the heart of it all, and I encourage others to take part.

Communities that use these monthly trends bring interest and commerce to their downtown areas, I've seen them while living in KC.  Of course, it's only going to work and grow if you have a number of organizations and businesses that participate and coincide their events on the same day.  This attracts a great amount of interest for the public to do and see a number of things all at once on a given day of each month.  You may go out to eat at Boudreaux's with friends, walk down to The Glass Eye Gallery to view an art opening, stop by the Paradox for another show, see some live entertainment out on the streets, and end the night at Fosters Martini Bar for some First Saturday martini's.  The next month it may be something different, maybe a theatre event by the local RRT group added to your mix.  In order for any of this to happen, more organizations, businesses and people need to be involved and work as a group coinciding shows, specials, sales, events and sharing ideas all part of First Saturday events to help promote the area in which they do business.  

Art is part of culture.

Culture attracts audiences.

Audiences spur business developments.

Business developments create jobs and generates government revenue.

The Arts help make communities thrive.

Businesses these days have to be creative in gaining attention and getting people in their doors, that's marketing.  Imagine the possibilities.  Businesses that exhibit art open their doors for patrons to see not only art, but the business itself---what a great way to promote a business and gain interest for potential customers. You don't have to be a professional gallery to reserve wall space for art.  In the KC Crossroads, there's a number of different businesses that host month long art shows---offices, restaurants, stores, frame shops, photography studios, even a dentistry has it's own gallery.  In Kansas City, KS the main library hosts solo exhibitions for artists with a reception during Second Friday events.  I know, because I had a solo show there a few years back.  Businesses that close at 5pm may need to keep their doors open a little longer after office hours.  Your business hours may be closed, but having someone stay after a little late for an art show inside could be worthwhile.  A number of local eating and drinking establishments can participate by having First Saturday menu items (food or drinks), specials, happy hours, or after party's.  Again---creativity comes into play when participating in such an event, attracting their share of the crowd.  

It's not just businesses, it's artists and art organizations too---after all they are the ones who are in the spotlights.  Street performances should be a must in keeping patrons entertained.  Whether it's a solo violinist playing sweet sounds of Mozart or Brahms in front of a gallery, a jazz trio near Boudreaux's Louisiana Seafood, a theatrical group promoting an upcoming play, or an artist painting en plein air along Felix Street, it's a way of enhancing downtown through the arts and creating an artistic atmosphere.  Street performers in music, dance, and theatre can attract audiences in certain parts of the area.

One thing I can't stress enough is marketing.  As we all know, the only way a business will succeed is by letting the community know about it---otherwise it ceases to exist.  Use social media, local and KC publications (ads, announcements, articles), websites, flyers, etc, this isn't rocket science.  There are a number of ways to pass the word along to patrons and potential customers without digging too far into pockets.  We have a lot of art lovers in the area, but they can only see it if they know and read about it.  If you have an event going on in your business downtown, advertise it as part of the First Saturdays events.  This is great opportunity.

St. Joe has a lot of potential and talent, and it's time we show it at it's best.  I encourage any business within the downtown arts and entertainment district to get involved in this.  Those who don't, will go unnoticed and won't reap the rewards as patrons walk past their doors.  Visit the other events in KC and Lawrence, get some ideas and see what other people are doing.  Might see something you like, something you can do, or do similar.  Experiencing these events is always a plus.  It's a great way to market your business and downtown.

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Past article in KC ink publication. on monthly events throughout the KC metro.