Another First Friday is upon us. What started out over 15 years ago as a way to bring people back to downtown, has turned into the largest event of its type in the country. Each month, over 100 venues open their doors and over 20,000 people converge on downtown. By any accounts it is a success. But this success has come at the price of a truly vibrant downtown.
If Phoenix wants to have a 24-7 downtown, with activity going every night of the week, we need to get out of the “let’s have an event on First Friday” mentality. I have no problem with the walk or small gallery openings, and I admit that First Fridays are a great way to get walk by traffic It is the slew of other events that could be held any night of the month and still draw an audience that I’m talking about. Does the Phoenix Art Museum really need to host its 50th Anniversary Party tonight? Or the Latino Cultural Center Grand Opening? Or the All Hands on Deck finale at After Hours Gallery? I would love to attend each of these great events, and would gladly have done so if they were held on any other night of the month. I’m sure there are hundreds of other people who would have as well.
So why hold event such as these on First Fridays? These events will draw their own audiences regardless of when they are held. Holding them tonight only dilute the audiences for other smaller galleries and openings that also deserve our attention. Moreover, the gaggle of events on First Friday mean that they will be other nights throughout each month when downtown will continue to fade to black after the offices close and classes end.
I’m not blaming the event organizers, per se. After all they are playing by the informal rules established by over a decade of habit. There once was a time that the only day a month that many people would dare venture into downtown Phoenix after dark was with the crowds that formed on First Fridays. Over the past several years, however, this has changed. Downtown is now a safe place any night of the week. The only thing missing are things to do other than catch a game, eat out or grab a pint.
Downtown Phoenix has enough activities to keep it going strong almost every night of the week. The problem is they are all clumped together on a select few nights a month. To be a truly vibrant downtown, these events need to start occurring throughout the month.
To be sure, things are changing slowly. As an example, SideBar’s 1st Anniversary Party held this past Wednesday was a huge success. Hundreds of people proved that they are willing to venture out in the middle of the week to attend an event. Sure SideBar could have waited until tonight for the party, but they didn’t need to. This allowed people to enjoy downtown Phoenix on a weeknight freeing their First Friday for the hundreds of other events going on. In addition, many of those in attendance stopped by other downtown establishments for dinner before hand, or drinks afterward, bringing customers to the central core on an otherwise quiet night for most businesses. Events like this is a small but important step towards a vibrant downtown more than one day a month.
Next time you want to hold an event—and are thinking of doing so on a First Friday—ask yourself if it could be held on another night of the month. And if you normally only venture downtown for First Fridays keep an eye open for other events going on throughout the month. It is only by overcoming Phoenix’s First Friday folly that we will achieve a truly vibrant downtown.
Well said. We’ve outgrown the need to cluster all events because people won’t come Downtown unless there’s a big spectacle going on. I love that on most First Fridays I have a choice of events, but it has become overwhelming and many of those events would find their own audiences any night of the week.
Part of the problem is also that the DT area is only appealing to those who live in or very near downtown. They need to start attracting people from the outlying areas as well.
It would also help if there was a better public transit system in place; the lightrail needs permanent extended hours, and the buses need to start running later.
Agreed. First Friday tends to be a crowded affair packed with emo kids looking for a concert rather than an art fest.
Why not have something (shock) EVERY Friday?
I couldn’t agree more, Yuri. Ten years ago, when I lived in West Palm Beach, FL (a city noticeably smaller than Phoenix and with an equally ‘developing’ downtown), they were able to have a large-scale, close-the-streets event every Thursday Night.
At this point, the major barrier I would see to getting people out en masse every Friday is that the leaders in this city seem dead set on making spontaneous events (like FF used to be) into official festivals with security everywhere and a sea of ugly white rental tents selling garbage like hard drives turned into clocks.
You’re right, the crowding of events on First Friday’s forces people to pick and choose, missing events that they would have otherwise attended on another night.
I will say that First Friday DOES attract people from beyond Phoenix. I had to do a bunch of research on this some years ago….and many come from Tempe, Scottsdale, Mesa, Gilbert and Glendale. Also, 3rd Friday has grown in popularity and many organization and galleries hold events that evening. I work at the Heard Museum and our 3rd Friday series NU(Native+You) attracts between 200-1000 people each month. We chose 3rd Friday on purpose to add to the mix of offerings throughout the month.
Kate, NU is a great example of an event breaking out of the First Friday mold… Congrats to you and the Heard Museum for breaking out of the First Friday folly!
Attraction ≠ appeal.
There isn’t any discussion or advertising of parking facilities for the plethora downtown events, FF or otherwise. There isn’t a lot of time or space given to the time or distance from different parts of the valley to DT PHX.
I know people GO to these events, but they aren’t really INVITED to these events. The message is very DT-centric; if you don’t live here you probably aren’t taking part in this and you’re not cool.
Interesting perspective Vern. Sometimes living in central Phoenix gives you tunnel vision, and we become very inward looking. I agree that more outreach is needed if downtown Phoenix is to be a place for ALL Phoenicians.
Yuri,
First off, great article. I’ve never really thought how one of Downtown’s strongest assets, First Fridays, could also be its biggest obstacle, but I think you’re right. However, I’m not so sure that every event could be as successful as you say SideBar’s 1st Anniversary Party was. Maybe I’m wrong, but one thing the city should definitely try to do is make every Friday a night worth heading Downtown. There are already events on the third Friday of every month, so encouraging organizations and businesses to hold their events on any Friday of the month wouldn’t be as risky as encouraging them to single themselves out try to fend for themselves. This would also be helpful for the city and organizations like the Downtown Phoenix Partnership to see whether their visions and plans for downtown Phoenix are being successful or not.
Great article, Yuri. When we started Practical Art we decided to stay open EVERY Friday night until 9pm. We schedule most of our events on non-First-Fridays so that we don’t try to compete for attention with that Roosevelt/Grand Ave. scene; and we try to offer alternatives when there is nothing else going on. In the first year or so, you could hear the crickets chirping most Friday nights. But now it’s catching on and we get a steady stream almost every Friday.
It does amaze me how many people ask us during the week, “do you do “First Fridays?” and when we say “we’re open every Friday night!” they are amazed.
Build it, and they will come. Just takes time. : )
Absolutely true, Yuri. To add a little hope, when FilmBar opens it will screen films 7 days a week. The owner feels that Third Friday might be our best night for hosting filmmakers to speak at the screenings, but wants to otherwise treat First Friday as just another night.
Absolutely true, Yuri. To add a little hope, when FilmBar opens it will screen films 7 days a week. The owner feels that Third Friday might be our best night for hosting filmmakers to speak at the screenings, but wants to otherwise treat First Friday as just another night.