MOUNT VERNON – The First Friday season continues with July First Friday. Experience Mount Vernon invites community members and visitors alike to the beautiful Central Business District of Mount Vernon for the kick-off event to your Independence Day Weekend.
Great food, live music and family fun for all during the 2022 First Friday season. From 6-9 p.m. on Friday, July 1, the Knox County Foundation joins Experience Mount Vernon to present the July First Friday.
Experience Mount Vernon is excited to partner with the Mount Vernon Arts Consortium (MVAC) to present the First Friday Concert Series. The Concert Series will be featured on the Main Stage located between Park National Bank and PNC Bank facing Public Square.
Brought to you by Knox Community Hospital and Central Ohio Technical College, the Concert Series will feature Smokin’ Ham at July’s event. This country band has been cookin’ up “real country music” that is sure to make the crowd get up and dance.
A+ Autobrokers returns as the sponsor of the First Friday Cruise-Ins to keep the events FREE. Experience Mount Vernon has worked closely with several members of the local car enthusiast community to formulate a plan for this year. Cars should arrive no earlier than 4 p.m. when streets will begin shutting down and no later than 6 p.m. when the streets will be fully closed to traffic. Check experiencemv.org for more details on the Cruise-In.
The Activity Zone presented by New Directions, MVNU Athletics, PAKUnited and YMCA of Mount Vernon has moved to South Main Street between Gambier and Ohio. Working with our partners to create activities, games and fun for all ages, July will feature several new activities never before seen at First Friday. Stop by and sign up for the YMCA 5K happening the morning of Saturday, July 2. Also featured in the Zone is the Edward Jones of Mount Vernon Touch-A-Truck. Be sure to swing by the South Main and Ohio Avenue intersection for a picture with your local law enforcement representatives.
New to First Fridays for the 2022 season is the Community Corner presented by New Directions, Flapper Bar & Grille, PNC Bank & The Woodward Opera House. Located on West Gambier Street at the South Main Plaza, the Community Corner will feature local organizations promoting their events and previewing what is coming to Downtown Mount Vernon. The Mount Vernon Music & Arts Festival will preview its upcoming 2022 Festival taking place the second weekend of August in the Community Corner. Along with the City of Mount Vernon presenting its 2021 Volunteers of the Year at 6:30 p.m., the Corner will also host a special presentation to our Hometown Heroes at 7:15 p.m.
Knox Pages is back for the 2022 season as the Knox Foodies First Friday Food Trail sponsor. Stop by the info table at the intersection of Vine and South Main to pick up your First Friday Food Trail Card, collect the required stamps by making a purchase at each zone, and return the completed card to the info table to be entered into a drawing for a gift card to a downtown dining establishment.
Participating merchants are inviting event attendees to compete in the “EXPERIENCE” Scavenger Hunt. Letters spelling out experience will be hidden within different shops during First Friday. Competitors are encouraged to find copies of the letter in each shop, have the back of the letter signed by the check-out clerk, and bring the completed word, “EXPERIENCE” to the Information Desk to be entered into a drawing for a gift card to a downtown retail establishment.
Traffic will be closed one block north of Public Square, around the Square and on South Main Street down to Ohio Avenue starting at 4 p.m. If you have questions, please contact Downtown Manager Anthony McNeal at 740-393-1481. Parking can be found at Public Lots located around the exterior of First Fridays. Lots on South Gay and Mulberry Streets as well as off of East High Street are open to public parking during the event. Experience Mount Vernon has partnered with Knox Public Health to host a Bike Valet station located in the Public Parking Lot at 20 East Ohio Ave. As part of the Active Transportation Plan, both Experience & Knox Public Health encourage those who can bike, to take advantage of this FREE service.
Media sponsors include Town Money Saver, Knox Pages, the Mount Vernon News, 90.9 WNZR, 13WMVO and Super Q 93.7.
To learn more about First Fridays, or to join the #experience, head to ExperienceMV.org.
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