Latest news with #FirstFridays
Agriland
3 days ago
- Business
- Agriland
Night-time economy advisers reimagine rural life after dark
Longford town, one of nine national pilot locations selected for Ireland's night-time economy initiative, is embracing the opportunity to reimagine rural life after dark. Backed by Longford County Council and a dedicated night-time economy adviser, Karen Reilly, the town devised a 2024–2025 action plan aimed at enhancing cultural, economic, and social vibrancy in the evenings. The plan was developed in alignment with a report by the National Night-time Economy Taskforce, published in 2021, which outlined key recommendations for creating a more dynamic and inclusive night-time culture across the country. In Longford, the plan was shaped through extensive public and business surveys, stakeholder workshops, and the formation of a cross-departmental working group within the council. The initiative has supported events like Café Lates, First Fridays, and the Safe and Sound Campaign. The Night-Time Economy Support Scheme provides grants of up to €3,000 aimed at encouraging local businesses, artists, and community groups to host evening activities. Reilly said: 'For a rural town like Longford, this initiative is more than just entertainment, it's about creating a safer more inclusive, and economically resilient community.' According to the adviser, by extending the use of public spaces and supporting late-night transport and public realm improvements, the plan is helping to make Longford a place where people want to stay, socialise, and spend locally after dark. Galway nightlife Galway city is another pilot location selected to lead the way in developing a more inclusive and sustainable night-time economy. The initiative aims to reimagine how Irish cities and towns function between 6:00p.m. and 6:00a.m., according to Kate Howard, night-time economy adviser for Galway city at Galway City Council. Galway's participation is guided by a dedicated night-time economy action plan (2024–2025), developed in close collaboration with local stakeholders including businesses, cultural venues, residents, and community groups. Howard said: 'It is not just about traditional nightlife. It encompasses a broader spectrum of experiences, including retail, cultural programming, food and drink, sport and community-led events that contribute to the vibrancy and wellbeing of the city after dark.' Appointed a night-time economy advisor in 2023, Howard was tasked with co-ordinating efforts to enhance the city's evening and night-time environment. 'The plan focuses on creating a safe, welcoming and diverse environment that supports cultural events, hospitality, retail, safety, transport and community activities,' she explained. 'Its key themes – infrastructure, communications, and experiences – are designed to ensure anholistic and inclusive approach. 'A vital aspect of the adviser's role is strengthening collaborative structures within local government and across the city, embedding the night-time economy into the city's broader planning and policy frameworks. 'This ensures that the needs and opportunities of the night-time are considered in all future strategies, from urban design and transport to community development and cultural programming.' A key component of Galway's action plan is safety and its commitment to supporting businesses through targeted training. In 2024 and 2025, Galway City Council delivered a series of free workshops for night-time operators, covering topics such as vulnerability awareness; anti-sexual harassment; bystander intervention; and drink spiking prevention. 'These sessions, led by international experts, were designed to equip staff with the tools to create safer, more inclusive environments. 'n addition, disability awareness training was introduced to help venues better accommodate customers with accessibility needs, enforcing Galway's ambition 'to be a truly welcoming city day and night', 'This commitment to safety is further supported by the Safe and Sound campaign, an initiative promoting awareness, visibility, and respect in collaboration with night-time economy stakeholders, to ensure that everyone can enjoy Galway at night with confidence,' Howard said. A standout initiative is the Café Lates pilot, which supports local cafés in extending their opening hours into the evening, offering relaxed non-alcohol focused social spaces. 'This programme which was first trialled in Galway city, has been well received, and is now in its second year, reflecting strong public demand for more diverse night-time options,' Howard outlined. 'The Galway City Café Lates model has also demonstrated its effectiveness beyond the city, with replication across five of the nine national night-time economy pilot areas: Kilkenny, Cork, Sligo, Longford, and Drogheda.' Galway has also developed an initiative called 'Youth Lates', a programme of events designed specifically for 16–19-year-olds. 'These events are co-created with young people and delivered in partnership with youth organisations, arts venues, and local creatives,' Kate explained. They provide safe, engaging and culturally rich experiences, ranging from live music events and creative workshops, offering young people a meaningful way to participate in the city's night-time life.' (Left to right): Ciaran Lennon, communities engagement officer; Karen Reilly, night-time economy advisor; David Hussey, LEDJS and Cllr. Kevin Hussey. Image source: Brian McCann. Another cultural offering is Thursday Lates at Galway Arts Centre, which pilots extended opening hours and provides evening access to exhibitions, performances, and creative workshops. The initiative is part of a broader effort to make cultural venues more accessible after dark and to encourage new patterns of engagement with the arts in the evening hours. 'Galway's night-time economy action plan is not just about economic growth. It's about fostering a city that is inclusive, culturally rich, and alive with opportunity well into the evening,' Howard said. Night-time economy A number of recommendations in the report of the night-time economy task force specifically focus on broadening the part of the night-time economy offering that does not involve the sale of alcohol or is not centred on its sale, according to a spokesperson for the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport (DCCS), which is funding the initiative. According to the spokesperson: 'There is a recognition that Ireland also has a more diverse culture today and there is a need to provide more alcohol-free options for our new communities in the night time economy. 'Younger people are also seeking a healthier lifestyle and there is a need to respond to the overall public demand for a late night café culture.' The support scheme provided grants of up €10,000 to cafés to host events to increase footfall in towns and cities, provide opportunities for artists – including new and emerging artists at local level – and also encourage the use of cafés as venues for a variety of artists in a more long-term way, the department spokesperson said. The scheme was extremely successful, with many cafés interested in trialling more events, with some reporting that they would still require a little more grant support to generate the consistent footfall needed. Rural life after dark In support of action 19 in the report of the taskforce, DCCS is funding nine night-time economy advisors in Dublin city, Cork city, Limerick city, Galway city, Kilkenny, Sligo, Longford, Buncrana and Drogheda. 'The night-time economy pilots are a significant project within the night-time economy policy area and arguably one of the most impactful. The advisors are helping to drive and support a more sustainable night-time economy in their local areas. 'They also work collaboratively on larger projects which have included a late night transport campaign in partnership with the National Transport Authority, a late night safety campaign and the Café Lates initiative,' the department spokesperson said. The pilots are reimagining cafés as evening cultural venues, hosting everything from spoken word and live music to DJ sets, games, and creative workshops. In Co. Donegal, Buncrana has recently launched a phase 2 of its night-time economy grant scheme, which provides small funds of up to €1,000 to support a range of activity from live music and cultural pop-ups to night-time food events and creative uses of public space. The grant scheme is open to all, including cafés that want to contribute to a richer, more diverse evening culture in Buncrana. Meanwhile, in Limerick city, Twilight Thursdays – which runs on the last Thursday of every month – offers a mix of family-friendly fun, live music, food and drink experiences, and cultural showcases and also features extended cafe and retail hours.
Time Out
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Frogtown First Fridays
This month, Frogtown Arts shifts its First Fridays series to the second Saturday of the month with a carnival-themed night of food, arts and crafts, games and music. Start at Salazar and check out 15 participating spots along the river, including Spoke Bicycle Cafe, Lingua Franca, Loreto, Frogtown Brewery and vegan bakery Just What I Kneaded. For family-friendly fun, there's a roller-skating dance party at the Taylor Yard Bridge from 7 to 9:30 pm, and Sooki Studio hosts a free screening of Ponyo at 8:30pm. Parking in Frogtown is notoriously hard to come by, so ridesharing is encouraged.
Chicago Tribune
07-07-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
New Oak Park business initiative harnesses Fourth festivities for First Fridays
A new initiative intended to spur interest in less-well known shopping areas around Oak Park and River Forest coincided Friday with Independence Day. First Fridays, a brainchild of the Oak Park-River Forest Chamber of Commerce, is intended to celebrate communities outside the major hubs in the communities and show off what treasures neighborhoods have been keeping secret. The first one launched July 4 at Chicago Austin with a brass band, a bounce house and ice cream after Oak Park's Independence Day Parade and a brief rainstorm. The city blocked off Chicago Avenue between Lombard and Humphrey avenues, as throngs of visitors strolled the streets, and local store owners marveled at the crowds that were unusual for the area. 'I think it's something that I've been wanting for the last eight years I've been here,' said Jimmie Wallace, the owner of Demiurge Clothing at 116 Chicago Ave. Wallace said he's been a longtime community booster but his neighborhood has been slow to get much action. The July 4 celebration made the street come alive, he said. 'I'm seeing community,' he said. 'I'm seeing people out in the street enjoying themselves and there's positive energy.' Visitors, too, loved it. 'We live in the neighborhood and we heard about it and it's a great way to get the energy out with this slate of kiddos,' said Angie Gaffney, with her daughter in tow, along with neighbors and their three kids. Along Chicago Avenue, kids waited for cotton candy and face painting and, down the street from Wallace, adults stood in a line out the door to get a cup of coffee from Daly Bagel. The scene is exactly what event organizers had in mind. 'We wanted to give attention to the business districts beyond the ones everyone knows,' explained Mark Walden, the programming manager for the chamber. He said the Oak Park area has 12 different districts — some of them are already well known and others have their own organizations that host their own shopping events and festivals. The First Fridays events — held the first Friday of July, August, September and October — will highlight the others. Those events will be Aug. 1 at Madison Street, Sept. 5 at Southtown and Oct. 3 at Pleasant District. While the July event was held during the day due to the holiday, future First Fridays will take place in the evening. Melissa Mallison, the chamber's director of programming and membership, said businesses throughout the districts welcome the prospect of boosted visibility. 'People are delighted,' she said. 'The businesses we talked to were thrilled to get the foot traffic. And it's all areas that don't have an organized arts alliance.' Information is at
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Adara Unveils New Amenities, Renovated Apartments
PHOENIX, June 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Briar Capital is pleased to announce that it has opened renovated amenities and updated apartments at the newly-christened Adara Apartments in downtown Phoenix. Adara Apartments are professionally managed by Greystar. "Adara has been updated to foster a sense of community and calmness in the middle of a bustling downtown," Karilyn Bell, RPM, Greystar said. "The renovations were intentional to help residents feel more at ease with inviting lounges, co-working spaces and serene courtyards as well as cool-toned interiors to encourage collaboration and creativity in a calm, naturally lit space." Adara offers studio, one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom floorplans. By the bed rentals are available in the three- and four-bedroom layouts. Each residence features a spacious floorplan, modern granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, large closets and an in-unit washer and dryer. For the interior renovations, Briar Capital worked with interior designer, Felicia Lindley at Urban Interior Concepts, to create an organic modern space that is unique to the Phoenix market. The clubhouse has been refreshed with a new organic, earth-tone color scheme. Notable updates include new kitchens in the clubrooms, revitalized lounge spaces, a new conference room, glass fencing surrounding the south pool and all new pool furniture in both pool areas. Other amenity updates include an expanded 24-hour fitness center with new equipment, upgrades to the pools in each building, a resident lounge with conference room, community game and entertainment lounge, courtyards with firepits, controlled access, and more. The community's design was important as the property blends co-living housing with traditional multifamily use. The new approach features light, airy, clean lines combined with organic materials and wood tones. Existing concrete floors, concrete masonry unit walls and semi-exposed ceilings combined with new modern details creates a more natural feel for the community. Adara sits in a prime location in the heart of the Roosevelt Row area, which is home to an array of dining, entertainment, nightlife and shopping options. First Fridays can also be experienced on Adara's doorstep every month. The community is also close to Arizona State University's downtown campus, University of Arizona College of Medicine Downtown, the PHX Arena and major transit including the Metro Rail. The community is also close to I-10 which provides easy access to Phoenix Sky Harbor and more. For more information, or to schedule a tour, please visit or call 602-687-1529. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Greystar
CBC
06-06-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Food truck fever at the Big O is back with 2-day First Fridays — but vendors want more
Food trucks are once again gathering at Montreal's Olympic Park for First Fridays this summer and the event now includes Saturdays too. But vendors say the city's current rules still make operating a food truck difficult.
