Main Street Fayette’s (MSF) annual “Downtown Live” shop hop had a great turnout for 2020, according to MSF Marketing Director McKenna Brown.
The event was held on Dec. 11 in downtown Washington Court House and featured live mannequins, deals from local shops, festive music, live music courtesy of The SupaFun Band, a food truck, a trackless train, and a visit from Santa Claus.
The train was sponsored by the Fayette County Travel and Tourism Bureau and was free to the public, according to Brown. A special performance was provided from a dance group called the “Praise Dancers” who had a choreographed dance to the song, “Oh Come all Ye Faithful.”
“The downtown shops partnered with the United Way Festival of Wreaths, where unique and festive wreath displays were featured in the downtown businesses for citizens to vote/bid on a favorite,” explained Brown via email.
The proceeds from the wreaths partnership will go toward 25 local programs and organizations.
Although the event was well-attended, there were COVID-19 guidelines in place. According to Brown, those guidelines were “user friendly and easy to follow.”
“The lines for Santa and the train ride were clearly marked with an ‘X’ indicating a 6-foot distance. There were direction arrows on sidewalks and signs that stated where lines started and how to exit. All downtown shops had posted signs in front windows or doors that read, ‘facemask required.’ Most shops had free disposable mask for anyone who did not have one and were given one upon entry. Some shops even had a 10-person limit in the store at one time,” explained Brown.
“After talking to many business owners, all agreed that the MSF Downtown Live event was a success for their business,” wrote Brown. “I love hearing this! This event takes months of planning, and requires a lot of team work and requires the businesses and other downtown organizations to come together for a common goal: bringing patrons downtown to enjoy what Washington Court House has to offer.”
