Hey there!My name is Emily Strickland, and I’m a guest blogger and communications intern for Florence Main Street. I am entering my Junior year at the University of Alabama pursuing a degree in Journalism with a double minor in Economics and General Business.In my time at UA, I’ve completely fallen in love with Tuscaloosa and all it has to offer. However, I’ve also learned that nothing can make one appreciate her hometown more than spending some time away.That’s why I was so excited to have the opportunity to work with Main Street promoting the city I love. I’ve lived in the Shoals area my whole life and jump at any chance I get to sing its praises. Throughout my internship, I’ll be keeping up a series called “Sweet Home FloAla,” highlighting all of the parts of Florence and the Shoals that I love the most.My hope is that readers would fall in love with this area just as much as I have. Thanks for reading!Emily
2017 Bacon Festival
Get Ready Bacon Lovers And Mark Your Calendars Now!!
Florence Main Street is bringing the Bacon Festival to Downtown Florence Saturday, September 9th!! This day full of Bacon, Brews, Football, Music and Fun will include several new events and a tasty partnership!
The Downtown Bacon Crawl
Florence Main Street invites you to the 3rd Annual Downtown Bacon Crawl, Saturday, September 9th, 2017 from 10:00am until 2:00pm. Participating businesses will have delicious baconrelated food samples (for ticket holders only!) to enjoy while they shop hop through downtown. (while supplies last) Tickets for the Bacon Crawl are available online (click the 2017 Bacon Crawl button on side of page) or at the Main Street office, 301 North Pine Street, Monday - Friday, 8am until 5pm. Tickets are $10 at the office and $11 online. Tickets will only be sold IN ADVANCE (no day of tickets will be available).Since tickets are limited, this event will sell out quickly, so you’ll want to get your tickets as soon as possible!
Alabama Craft Beer Festival
1:00pm - 5:00pmPenny Beer Garden 2017 - Sample the best beers brewed in thestate of Alabama as well as visit with the brewers themselves.For more information about this event and to purchase tickets,now on sale, visit their webpage. (link below)AlabamaCraftBeerFestival
BBQ Block Battle
We've added some extra fun to the Bacon Festival! This year you get to compete in our BBQ Block Battle to see who will claim the rights as Boss Hog for 2017! Make the best pork treat and win People's Choice for 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Place! 1st Place wins a cash prize so get your friends together and get cooking!Don't want to cook but want to try the treats and vote? Tickets for BBQ Block Battle Tasting are available for purchase now online (click the 2017 BBQ Block Battle Tasting Tickets at the right) or at the Main Street office, 301 North Pine Street, Monday - Friday, 8am until 5pm. Tickets are $10 at the office and $11 online. Only a limited number of tickets available so get yours before they are gone! Online BBQ Battle Entry Form Be sure to follow this event for updates and exciting new things added to the event as our planning progresses. We're so excited!Florence Main Street301 North Pine StreetFlorence, AL 35630Business hours:Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm256-760-9648
America's Main Street Contest
Florence Main Street has the chance to win $25,000! All it takes is one click to vote for #DowntownFlorence to win. You can vote once a day, now through April 23rd. We ask that you please take two seconds to vote and then share with your friends! Think of all the amazing things we could do for our downtown!
Florence Main Street 3rd Annual Downtown Chocolate Crawl
FLORENCE MAIN STREET 3RD ANNUAL DOWNTOWN CHOCOLATE CRAWL
Downtown Florence boutiques, salons, and other businesses are turning into Chocolate Shops to help you get in the mood for Valentine’s Day! So grab your sweetheart or your best shopping buddy and join us in downtown Florence for the 3rd Annual Downtown Chocolate Crawl presented by Florence Main Street, on Saturday, February 11th from 10am until 3pm (or until treats run out).
“The beginning of the year can be a very slow sales time for our downtown Florence businesses. The Chocolate Crawl is a fun way to get folks downtown for sweet deals and to treat them to chocolate samples of all kinds. This is a great opportunity to check out our unique stores, their winter styles, end of season sales, and maybe some new Spring fashion collections,” said Teryl Shields, Executive Director of Florence Main Street.Tickets for the event are $10.00 each and can be purchased online (click here)or at the Main Street office, 301 North Pine Street
, in downtown Florence. There are a limited number of tickets available, so early purchases are encouraged. Anyone purchasing a ticket before February 1 will be entered into a drawing for $25 Downtown Dollars that can be redeemed at participating stores. Downtown Dollars spend just like cash and will be given to winners at the beginning of the event.
On Saturday, February 11th, ticket holders need to check-in at the Florence Main Street tent, which will be located on the corner of Court and Tennessee Streets, to receive your wristband, map and goodie bag. Then you’re off to follow the balloon trail to participating downtown businesses, where you will enjoy a variety of free chocolate samples (while supplies last) and take advantage of a 10% OFF discount or other special offers at each location. Only ticket holders can sample the variety of chocolate and take advantage of the special discount. Once you have visited all businesses, return to the Main Street tent by 2:30pm and cast your vote for the best chocolate item of the day.
“This is such a fun event that allows adults to treat themselves to a day of shopping and chocolate with family and friends, all while helping our wonderful downtown community thrive economically” said Molly Austin, Event Coordinator for Main Street.
Anyone participating in the Downtown Chocolate Crawl is encouraged to park at the public parking garage at the corner of Tennessee and Pine Streets.
Florence Main Street, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to working with business owners, community leaders, and residents toward the common goal of revitalizing Downtown Florence culturally and economically. For more information about us or any of these efforts, please contact Florence Main Street at 256-760-9648 or info@florencemainstreet.org
3rd Annual Downtown Chocolate Crawl
Do you love chocolate and sweet deals? Then this is the event for you! Downtown Florence boutiques, salons, and other stores will be turning into Chocolate Shops for one day only and they want you to come see them! Make it a date or bring your friends for a day full of shopping and fun! This event is known as 'trick or treating for adults" and "a wonderful time had by all, sampling sweets and exploring all the great stores in downtown Florence"!Each business will be showcasing their current styles, specials, and services along with a bite-sized sample of a chocolate treat. During the Chocolate Crawl, shoppers will also get 10% off their purchases at participating businesses.Tickets for the 3rd Annual Downtown Chocolate Crawl will go on sale Monday, January 16th at 10:00am! Only 350 tickets will be sold for this event. Tickets will be $10 at the office and $11 online ($1 will be added as a processing fee)Check back here for more details!
2016 Florence Christmas Parade Winners
2016 Florence Christmas Parade Winners
The 2016 Florence Christmas Parade brought the sights and sounds of the holidays to historic downtown Florence and kicked off the holiday season. The parade featured over 100 floats, bands and performance groups as they marched, danced, sang and twirled their way down Court Street to the delight of the spectators. Even Santa was on hand to wave at the crowd and shared some sweet treats.Florence Main Street was responsible for the coordination of this year’s parade. “There’s not much more fun than a parade and the Christmas parade really gets everyone into the holiday spirit!” said Teryl Shields, Executive Director of Florence Main Street. “There’s no better way to get excited about Christmas than seeing all the cute kids and great costumes, hearing the wonderful bands from our community play holiday music and watching the floats go by.”Winners of the parade prizes were Best Band – Florence High School; Best Performance Group – Allegro Dance and Fitness; Best Business Float – Express Oil and Best Non-Profit/Community Organization—Shoals Area Salvation Army. “Thanks to everyone who participated in the 2016 Christmas parade. This parade gets such great interest and support from the community and this year’s bands, floats and performance groups were fantastic” said Molly Austin, Florence Main Street Event Coordinator.Florence Main Street would like to thank Participating Sponsors University Honda and University Nissan for their support which helps make possible the prizes to the Best Band, Business, Non-Profit and Performance groups. A special thank you to Big River Broadcasting for providing the stage, sound and for emceeing this year’s parade. The parade couldn’t happen without the fantastic support of the University of North Alabama ROTC who handles logistics on the night of the parade along with the UNA University Police and the Florence Police Department providing assistance and coordinating a safe and secure environment for the parade. Anyone with questions about the parade can contact Florence Main Street at 256-760-9648.Florence Main Street is a non-profit economic development organization dedicated to working with business owners, community leaders, and residents toward the common goal of revitalizing Downtown Florence, culturally and economically. For more information about us or any of these efforts, please contact Florence Main Street at 256-760-9648 or info@florencemainstreet.org.
Florence Main Street Presents the 2016 Florence Christmas Parade
‘Have a Holly Jolly Christmas’ with the Florence Christmas Parade on Court Street in Downtown Florence. Friday, December 9, 2016 at 7:00 p.m.
There’s no better way to celebrate the holidays and to ‘Have a Holly Jolly Christmas’ (this year’s theme) than to attend the Florence Christmas parade! You are encouraged to theme your float, performance or musical group in costume, decoration or musical selection. Get creative & have some fun!Florence Main Street is once again responsible for coordinating the Florence Christmas Parade and as always, there are rules to be followed. These rules and regulations are to improve safety (following state laws and city ordinances) and provide increased enjoyment for participants and spectators.VERY IMPORTANT…The Parade route will follow Court Street from the north end at Rogers Hall on the UNA campus to the southern end at Alabama Street. Parade line up will begin at 6 pm on Pine Street between Irvine and Cumberland Streets. Your exact time for line up will be determined by your placement in the parade. That information will be sent to you the week before the parade.Please remember with the Parade line up being on Pine Street and ending on South Court Street at Alabama Street to arrange your drop off and pick up locations to match those areas.The following are the guidelines set forth for the 2016 Florence Christmas Parade:There will be awards for Best Decorated Float (Commercial & Non-Profit), Best Band and Best Performance Group.Each entry is limited to four (4) units. For example, the XYZ club will be allowed four cars in their entry.Entries MUST be decorated or dressed to reflect the theme of the parade:‘Have a Holly Jolly Christmas!’;No un-decorated vehicles will be allowed! There’s nothing more boring than watching a bunch of cars driving down the road!Santa is a special guest and has his own float. No Santa Claus or Mrs. Claus impersonators allowed in or on any parade entry.Motorcyclists are required by Alabama state law to wear helmets at all times. Motorcycles which are not designed and licensed for public streets will not be allowed to participate in the parade.Alabama state law prohibits ATVs from public streets; therefore, ATVs are not permitted in the parade.Vehicles not allowed on public streets, according to Alabama state law or City of Florence ordinance will not be allowed to participate in the parade.Participation is contingent on Police Department approval.Horse units will not be allowed. Other animals allowed only with permission from Florence Main Street. All animals must be cleaned up after by the group bringing them.Wednesday, November 30 is the deadline for return of entry forms and fees.This is stated on the entry form and will be strictly enforced. Any late entry will be at the sole discretion of FMS, and may result in an additional $50 late fee being charged.CLICK HERE FOR ONLINE REGISTRATION FORMCLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE REGISTRATION FORMMore information is available from the Florence Main Street office by calling 256-760-9648 or email us at events@florencemainstreet.
Downtown Florence Christmas Open House
Downtown Florence Christmas Open HouseSaturday ~ November 19th, 201610:00am ~ 6:00pmStocking Surprise ~ Holiday Window DecorationsRefreshments ~ Santa Claus ~ and More!Pictures with SantaSanta will be in front of Specs Downtown on Saturday, November 19th, from 11:00am - 1:00pm to pose for pictures with children and families. The pictures will be taken by a professional photographer from IKP Sports Photography.Stocking SurpriseShoppers who make a purchase at participating businesses will pick out a Christmas Stocking that has been filled with coupons from other downtown businesses, some will even have downtown dollars!Holiday Window Decorating ContestDowntown Florence businesses are Lighting Up the Holidays by decorating their windows to celebrate the Holiday Season.Florence Main Street invites the community to visit our downtown to shop, eat and then vote online for your favorite storefront. Voting will begin November 19th and go through December 18th.CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY WINDOWAnnouncing the Florence Restaurant Week Charity & Restaurant Winners
Congratulations are in order for the following:First Place Charity: Room in the Inn Shoals
Second Place Charity: "Sidney's Safe!" Foundation
Favorite Restaurant: The Pie Factory
Best Dish: Tied between Woodpecker Cafe and Rivertown Coffee Co.
We would like to again thank our sponsors: McDaniel Window & Door, Alabama Outdoors, and Blue Olive!
Florence Main Street Announces Nominated Charities for Florence Restaurant Week 2016
For the last four weeks Florence Main Street has been collecting on-line and mail-in nominations from the community for their favorite charity to be on the Restaurant Week ballot. After sorting over 750 nominations submitted between September 15-October 13, Florence Main Street finally has the top three most nominated charities and the two wild-card picks who will compete for the coveted $5,000 from our Presenting Sponsor, McDaniel Window & Door.Last year, Presenting Sponsor Mike McDaniel awarded the $5,000 check to winning charity Shoals Sav-A-Life, and this year he is looking forward to making another charity very happy.This year, we are thrilled to announce a second sponsor – Alabama Outdoors! During restaurant week be sure to go and visit Alabama Outdoors to see their fall inventory and cool specials. When you make a purchase show them your receipt from a participating downtown restaurant and they will donate 10 percent of your Alabama Outdoors purchase toward a check for the second place charity! In no particular order, the five charity finalists are: Room In The Inn, Salvation Army, Heart of Alabama Save Rescue Adopt, Meals on Wheels and Sidney’s Safe Foundation. All five charities will be competing for the communities’ vote during Florence Restaurant Week, October 21st - October 30th. Whether you buy a cup of coffee from Rivertown or have dinner at Odette, every purchase will come with a ballot for the opportunity to vote for the charity of your choice.Join Florence Main Street for our preview of Florence Restaurant Week during the Taste of Downtown event on Tuesday, Oct. 18th at Singin’ River Brewing Company! Get to know the nominated charities you will be voting for from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm, while tasting samples of dishes prepared by all participating restaurants. Admission: $10 in advance and $15 at the door (while supplies last). Tickets can be purchased online at www.dineoutflorence.com and www.florencemainstreet.org or at the Florence Main Street Office ~ 301 N Pine Street.FLORENCE RESTAURANT WEEK IS OCTOBER 21st-30th. Please help us do good where it counts by voting for one of the five charities by dining at any of the participating downtown restaurants and shopping at Alabama Outdoors! Participating Restaurants: On the Rocks, Pie Factory, Woodpecker Café, Wildwood Tavern, Rivertown Coffee, FloBama, 306 BBQ, Odette, Legends, Ricatoni's Italian Grill, City Hardware, Singin River Brewing Co., and Rosie's Mexican Cantina.Florence Main Street is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to working with business owners, community leaders, and residents toward the common goal of revitalizing Downtown Florence, culturally and economically. For more information about us or any of these efforts, please contact Florence Main Street at 256-760-9648 or info@florencemainstreet.org.
Taste of Downtown
Florence Main Street is kicking off Florence Restaurant Week with the Taste of Downtown on Tuesday, October 18th from 6:00pm until 8:00pm at Singin’ River Brewery, 526 E College Street, Florence AL.
The Taste of Downtown is a fun event showcasing participating downtown restaurants, sponsors of Restaurant Week, our judges, and volunteers. In addition, we will unveil the five local charities that make it to the coveted charity ballot. This is the community’s opportunity to sample fabulous food from our downtown restaurants while meeting some of our local charities in person to ask questions and understand how they impact the Shoals.
Participating restaurants include: Odette, Rivertown Coffee Company, The Pie Factory, 306 BBQ, City Hardware, Woodpecker Cafe, Rosie's Mexican Cantina, FloBama Music Hall, Wildwood Tavern, On the Rocks, Legends Steakhouse, Ricatoni's Italian Grill, Renaissance Olive Oil Company and Singin' River Brewing Company.
Tickets can be purchased online or at the Florence Main Street Office located at 301 N. Pine Street.
For additional information about Florence Restaurant Week please visit www.dineoutflorence.com
2016 Florence Restaurant Week Charity Nomination
Florence Main Street is asking you to nominate your favorite local charity to have a chance to win $5,000 from our Presenting Sponsor ~ McDaniel Window & Door. The charity nominated must be a registered 501(c)3 organization and must have a Shoals Area office. The top three most nominated charities and two wild-card charities (to be selected by the FRW committe and sponsors) will be placed on the Florence Restaurant Week Charity Ballot. The five charities will compete against each other for the most votes throughout a week of dining in downtown Florence for the $5,000 Grand Prize.
*Shoals Sav-A-Life is excluded from the nomination phase as they were the 2015 Florence Restaurant Week winning charity.
For more information about Florence Restaurant Week visit www.dineoutflorence.com
Nominate through the link below:
2016 Florence Restaurant Week Charity Nomination
Florence Restaurant Week 2016 Charity Nomination Phase
Contact: Molly Austin or Teryl Shields FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tel. 256-760-9648
Email: info@florencemainstreet.org
FLORENCE RESTAURANT WEEK 2016 CHARITY NOMINATION PHASEFlorence Main Street
Florence, AL – September 14th – Between Sept 15th and October 13th, Florence Main Street wants you to nominate your favorite charity for the opportunity to win a $5,000 check. Last year during Florence Restaurant Week, Presenting Sponsor McDaniel Window & Door owner Mike McDaniel presented the $5000 winning charity check to Shoals Sav-A-Life and he’s looking forward to making another charity very happy this year. “Presenting the $5000 check to Shoals Sav-A-Life was not only an honor, but a privilege for myself and staff. It was exciting to see our local businesses thriving, while our community came together to raise awareness for so many wonderful charities. McDaniel Window & Door is excited to be the Presenting Sponsor again for 2016 Florence Restaurant Week, and I personally challenge all our local businesses to get involved and support this great event,” said owner, Mike McDaniel. Selected from the community’s nominations, five charities will be placed on a ballot for guests dining at participating restaurants to vote on during Florence Restaurant Week in October. Thursday, Sept 15th through Thursday, October 13th, nominate your favorite charity and tell us why they deserve this prize. (To be considered, a charity must be a designated 501c(3) organization and have an office in the Shoals.) The three most nominated charities will automatically be included on the ballot, and Florence Main Street will choose two wild-card charities based on input from our Presenting Sponsor, number of nominations, impact on our community, and other factors. Shoals Sav-A-Life will be excluded from this years’ nomination phase because they were the winners of Florence Restaurant Week 2015. You can nominate your favorite charity four ways. Florence Main Street will have a poll on our Facebook page, on McDaniel Window & Door’s Facebook page, and on our website (www.dineoutflorence.com) or you can mail in your nomination. If you choose to mail in a nomination please include these items: Your First and Last Name
Your Email address
Name of CharityWhy you are nominating the charity?
Name of Executive Director at the charity.
Contact info for the charity. (Address & Phone Number)
Then, from October 21st - 30th, Florence Main Street will host Florence Restaurant Week 2016. Ballots will be available at participating restaurants. Every time you eat at a participating restaurant during Florence Restaurant Week, you will have the opportunity to vote for one of our five local charities. Every time you eat, you get to vote! Florence Restaurant Week is not only a showcase of our best local eateries, but it will also help to shine the light on some of our best local charities. The charity with the most votes at the end of the week will walk away with a check for $5,000 that will be used to do good work right here in the Shoals.
Mark your calendars now for FLORENCE RESTAURANT WEEK–October 21st - 30th, 2016! And please, help us do good where it counts by nominating YOUR favorite charity today!Florence Main Street is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization dedicated to working with business owners, community leaders, and residents toward the common goal of revitalizing Downtown Florence, culturally and economically. For more information about us or any of these efforts, please contact Florence Main Street at 256-760-9648 or info@florencemainstreet.org
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2016 Bacon Crawl Tickets and T-Shirts Now On Sale!
Calling All Bacon Lovers!
Florence Main Street invites you to the 2nd Annual Downtown Bacon Crawl, Saturday, September 10th from 10am until 3pm. Everyone is invited to purchase a ticket (or two or more)! Since tickets are limited, this event will sell out quickly, so you’ll want to get your tickets as soon as possible, online (click the 2016 Bacon Crawl button on side of page) or purchase at the Main Street office, 301 North Pine Street, Monday – Friday, 8am until 5pm. Tickets are $16 online and $15 at the office.
How does the Downtown Bacon Crawl work? Participating businesses will be marked with balloons so everyone will know where they can find delicious bacon related food samples (for ticket holders only, while supplies last). “The Downtown Bacon Crawl was so much fun and such a huge success this past year. We are very excited to be doing it again! We heard from so many attendees that it was a great opportunity to visit with downtown businesses and see how alive downtown Florence really is. Giving visitors and locals a fun and unique experience by tasting delicious treats and shopping along the way is the goal.” said Molly Austin, Event Coordinator for Florence Main Street.Check-in for the Bacon Crawl will begin at 9:30am on the corner of Court and Tennessee Streets (look for the red tents) and ‘Crawlers’ are encouraged to park in the nearby parking garage (located on Tennessee Street). At check-in, ticket holders will be given a Bacon Crawl wristband, map of participating businesses, to-go boxes and bags, and Shop Downtown cards to fill out for a chance to WIN Downtown Dollars.
“Fall is around the corner and the downtown businesses are excited to show off their Fall fashions, share new things they’ve picked up over the summer and celebrate the changing of the seasons with you. We’re hoping that Fall won’t just mean folks getting excited about school and football but also the 2nd Annual Bacon Crawl in downtown Florence” said Teryl Shields, Executive Director of Florence Main Street.
WE HAVE A WINNER!
We are pleased to announce that the winner of our 2016 Downtown Bacon Crawl T-Shirt contest is JP Jones.
Congratulations!
T-shirts will be available for purchase through our website or at our office, located at 301 North Pine Street, beginning at 1:00pm today, August 1st, 2016.
Vote For Your Favorite 2016 Bacon Crawl T-Shirt Design
The top 5 designs have been selected by our panel of judges and now it is time for you to vote for your favorite! Voting ends July 30th, 2016 and the winning design will be announced on July 31st.To place your vote click here.
Bacon Crawl T-Shirt Design Challenge
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Florence Main Street is looking for 'creatives'...designers, artists, or even doodlers... to submit original artwork, designs, or drawings for our official 2016 Bacon Crawl t-shirt. There's even a $500 cash award for the selected design. As this is the second year this event has happened, Main Street is hoping for an image that illustrates how much fun and how tasty the Bacon Crawl will be this September in downtown Florence. Below are the details and requirements which must be followed.
Design Requirements:
The following information must be included within the design
1. Event details -
a) Title: Downtown Bacon Crawl presented by Florence Main Street
b) Date: September 10, 2016c) Location: Downtown Florenced) Website: www.florencemainstreet.org2. Size cannot exceed 10.5 inches in width and 15 inches in length (best size to fit on back of t-shirt).
3. Up to 2 colors may be used in the design.
4. Select the color of the t-shirt that best fits your design. T-shirt colors are listed below and will be posted at www.florencemainstreet.org in a blog post about the t-shirt design contest.
5. OPTIONAL Referenced Themes: Bacon, Pork, Pigs, Downtown Florence, Shopping and/or dining.
6. Additional information - shirts will be screen printed locally, therefore please submit designs that, in your opinion will screen print well.
Eligibility & Age Requirements
This contest is open to all artists, professional, amateur, and student alike. If you are under the age of 18, you must ask your parent or guardian permission before entering this contest. The contest is open to any student (K-12).
Terms & Qualifications
A limit of two submissions per person ONLY.Submit only original work. All designs must not contain copyrighted material and they cannot have previously won any awards.The winning design will become property of Florence Main Street and may be used for other marketing purposes.By participating, you agree to release, discharge and hold harmless Florence Main Street from any and all liability, loss, damage or injury resulting from participation in this contest. How to Enter:
ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST INCLUDE 2 ATTACHMENTS
*All emails should have the subject line "Bacon Crawl T-shirt Contest - First and Last Name."
a. T-shirt design
b. Registration Form (Click here for the form)
Email design submission to mollya@florencemainstreet.org in JPEG, PDF, or GIF format in high resolution (300dpi) not to exceed 8MB in size. Be prepared to submit the original drawing, Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop (vector art) files if your design is chosen.
Molly Austin, Event Coordinator
Deadline for submissions: Friday, July 22nd, 12pm (noon). NO EXCEPTIONS!
Evaluation of Design Submissions:
A panel of judges will select the top 5 designs and those designs will be put out to the community via a Facebook Poll to vote on their favorite from July 23rd - 29th. The winning design will be announced on July 30th on our website and social media outlets. A prize of $500 cash prize will be paid to the winner on the receipt of print-ready artwork.
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Prize for the Best Design: $500 CASH PRIZE
Selections of t-shirt colors that will best fit the artist's design.
Our goal with this project is to give all creativity to the artist and we hope everyone has fun with the contest.
Keep in mind the artist may submit up to 2 designs per person for the contest. You may pick 1 or 2 colors of t-shirts that will make the graphic stand out the most.Good luck to everyone!
Dixie Garage
Lucas Wassner is the owner of Dixie Garage, a men’s supply shop, located in downtown Florence on Mobile Street. He grew up in Muscle Shoals and got a degree in outdoor recreation at the University of North Alabama. He then worked as a park ranger in South Dakota at Wind Cave National Park for three seasons. After he and his wife spent a month on the road and two months in Florida, they decided to come back to Florence. For a year and a half Lucas was the manager at Alabama Outdoors then he left to open Dixie Garage August 2015. For the first six months he shared a space on College Street with another business. That space is actually where he got the name for his business; Dixie Garage is what his friend called the space prior to him moving in. February 2016, Lucas moved Dixie Garage to 110 East Mobile Street. I asked him why he chose downtown Florence and he said, “because I love downtown Florence, I love the people and the events. It is the place to be.”
Dixie Garage is such a unique store, I was very curious as to what inspired Lucas to start his business. He told me that he was seeing a new store for women opening up every other week. There was a need in the community for a men’s store. There are many boutiques in the area for women, so why not for men? He wanted to open a store where men could find original products that couldn’t just be found in department stores. He was tired of getting the same basic stuff.
Just like most new businesses, Lucas faced challenges when starting his business. He said one of the hardest things was getting exposure. To get a jump on getting their name out, the Dixie Garage Instagram account was started a month before they opened their doors. They also set up booths at First Fridays downtown. Another challenge he mentioned is that starting and managing your own business takes a lot of time and effort. Lucas and his wife, Chelsea, are the only ones working at Dixie Garage. With a one year old daughter and a baby boy on the way, time and effort will be an ongoing challenge.When it comes to the future, Lucas does not really want to open multiple locations. He would rather make the one location a destination, a place where people come from out of town to shop. He would like to grow his inventory, have a wider variety of products, and get more people in the door.
Lucas is a few months shy of the one year anniversary of Dixie Garage’s opening. It is always best to take advice from someone that has been in the same situation, so I asked him what advice he would give to someone wanting to start their own business. He simply replied, “Quit talking about it and do it.”We talked about the difficult parts of owning a business but what are the rewards? Lucas said his inventory is made up mostly of makers products, products that are locally made. He said they get just as excited when he makes sells. He is glad to help them by doing this.My final question for Lucas was how did he want to impact the community. He told me he wants to be new and fresh always and he wants to bring in lots of traffic from other places. One way he is doing this is by Bingo Night. Monday April 18 was the first Bingo Night hosted by Dixie Garage at 116 on Mobile Street. Lucas said it was a great turn out and he hopes to make it a monthly event.
We are just as excited to see how Lucas and Dixie Garage will change and grow the community! They are open Monday 11-5 and Tuesday-Saturday 11-7. Stop in and check out all the cool products they have!
Sew What's Your Passion?
The first of February this year Ashlee Haddock opened her relocated business, Thread, in downtown Florence. Thread is a fabric store that has everything you could need for sewing, even classes to teach you how. The store originally opened in 2010 in Tuscumbia. It was not until November 2013 that Ashlee bought the store from Alyson Ray. When I asked Ashlee why she chose to relocate to downtown Florence she informed me there were a few reasons for this change. Ashlee stated, “Downtown Florence is really growing and booming.” She also told me she needed a bigger space for her business. Ashlee also noted that the building she relocated to is actually the building where Wilson’s Fabrics was located. The owner of the building, Rob Wilson, is the son of the couple who opened Wilson’s Fabrics in 1949. Many who have grown up in the Shoals area can remember going to Wilson’s with their parents or grandparents. Ashlee said she had many memories herself. In 2010, after 61 years of operation, Wilson’s closed their doors. With such a background, the space does seem just perfect for Thread.
Ashlee was born and raised in the area. She and her husband, Brad Haddock, and their two children moved back to Florence from Florida about seven years ago. She taught P.E. for 21 years. I was curious to what inspired her to purchase Thread. Ashlee said, “I have always had a passion for sewing. It is my creative outlet, my therapy, my go-to.” When Alyson approached Ashlee about selling the store to her, it was an easy decision for Ashlee. She said it was “a dream came true.” While she enjoyed teaching, she had reached a time in her life where she needed a change. Ashlee said, “Life happens and changes your priorities and perspectives,” and she said you need to “find your passion.” I believe Ashlee is proof that it is never too late to chase your dreams and follow your passion.As someone going on three years of owning her own business, I asked Ashlee what advice she had for someone who wanted to start their own business. Ashlee said, “Do it! Don’t be afraid. I was a school teacher and could have stayed in my comfort zone, but you just have to go all in. If it works, that is great. If not, pick yourself up. Don’t get discouraged.” She also said, “You need to know what people want. Buying is a big thing and you need to know how much to buy, not too little or too much.” Ashlee recently had a class from UNA visit. She talked to them about being buyers and going to market. One thing she said to keep in mind when going to market is just because you like it does not mean your customers will.
Ashlee clearly loves what she does. When asked what the most rewarding part of owning Thread is, she said the customers. She loves “seeing the customers after they finish a quilt or whatever it is.” Seeing them so excited and fulfilled by what they have accomplished is an award all in itself. Quilting Retailer magazine just had an article about Thread, Ashlee said, “it is cool to have that peer review.”While it has it rewards and benefits, there are difficulties to overcome. I asked Ashlee about hardships she has to deal with. She stated the biggest difficulty she is faced with is finding out what people want. Ashlee said, “What I want to do or class I want to teach, isn’t always what everyone else wants. It is trying to get them interested and giving them what they want that gets business and raises revenue.” She also said another problem she has is finding her limits for saying no to people. While you want to meet customers’ needs, you have to know when and where to draw the line.Being new to downtown Florence, I was interested in the future Ashlee has in store for Thread. So I asked Ashlee about her long-term goals for her business. She said she wants “growing classes, more workshops, and collaborations with Unraveled or people with like-minded creativity and goals.” Ashlee wants to create a community of sewing. She said one thing she really loves is the sound of lots of machines going in her store during a class. I also asked her how she wants Thread to impact the community. Ashlee could not quite find the words she was looking for but one of her employees, Shelley Spidel, helped out and said just what Ashlee was thinking. Shelley said, “We want to create an environment that inspires creativity and fosters community among the makers of the Shoals.”
Ashlee Haddock is truly an inspiring person and it was an honor to get to speak with her. Thread is located downtown next door to Unraveled, 213 North Court Street. Monday-Friday their hours are 10am-5:30pm, and Saturday 10am-3pm.
Florence Main Street's 4th Annual Golf Tournament
Do you love downtown Florence? Want to help it continue to grow in economic strength and cultural vibrancy? Then come have some fun and play a round of golf with Florence Main Street!All funds raised by Florence Main Street are used to support the visual appeal and economic strength of downtown Florence along with promoting it as the cultural and historic heart of our community. Here's a little more about Florence Main Street...Florence Main Street is a non-profit organization working to maintain, strengthen and promote historic downtown Florence. Affiliated with the National Trust for Historic Preservation's National Main Street Center, we focus on the four elements that help define the success of a downtown; Organization, Design, Promotion, and Economic Development.The Florence Main Street project was the brainchild of several talented and forward thinking business owners, downtown residents, city leaders, University of North Alabama professors, historic preservationists and cultural leaders. In 1992 they petitioned the Florence city council and mayor to begin a Main Street organization. They also solicited the application thru the state of Alabama to become a part of the state-wide Main Street Organization.Since 1992 more than $190 million has been invested in downtown Florence renovation and construction through public and private funding. More than 2000 new jobs have been created and a net of 512 new businesses have settled here. More than 200 events such as Music in the Park, Renaissance Faire, UNA’s Storytelling Festival, Arts Alive, and W.C Handy Festival have become yearly events and take place in downtown Florence. The Florence Main Street boundaries are generally the Tennessee River to the South, the University of North Alabama to the North, Florence Cemetery to the East and the termination of Mobile and College Streets to the West. Florence Main Street also works in nearby neighborhood business districts. Florence Main Street receives financial support from the City of Florence, private sponsors, individuals and Florence Main Street fundraisers.Funds raised by Florence Main Street go to support restoration and revitalization efforts in historic downtown Florence. Examples of uses of funds are retail and special events to increase awareness of the downtown community, building façade improvements, downtown beautification, banners, gifts of public art, recruitment of new business.Florence Main Street is responsible for the following (and more!):Christmas Open House ~ Lion Night with UNA ~ Florence FoodiesSilver Screen Project ~ Historic Downtown CalendarFall Fun Festival ~ Mural on Fred’s Building ~ Upstairs DowntownEducation Seminars for Businesses ~ Chocolate CrawlMedallion in the floor in the lobby of the FLPL ~ Christmas ParadeGranite sidewalk inlay of the City of Florence original mapDowntown banners & Christmas lights ~ Merchant MeetingsQuarterly Retail Shopping Events ~ Inventory of BusinessesFlorence Restaurant Week ~ Downtown Shopping BrochureDowntown Bacon Crawl ~ Downtown Dollars So grab three friends and hit the links at Blackberry Trail and help make downtown Florence even better! Click here to register your team.Call the Florence Main Street office for more information, 256-760-9648 or email info@florencemainstreet.org.