What is the history of First Friday?
First Friday – History & Mission First Friday was started in the summer of 2004 by a small group of Downtown merchants (John Hutto – Smoothie King, Linda Brient-Gift Basket Boutique, and Julie Townsend-Ledger) independent of the Downtown Lakeland Partnership. Initial funding came from amounts donated by merchants who felt they benefited from increased foot traffic from having entertainment and activities along Kentucky Avenue during the evening hours of the first Friday of each month. The DLP adopted First Friday in October 2004. Two years later, the LDDA started funding $12,000 a year towards First Friday. The original purpose of First Friday was to increase foot traffic in Downtown during the extended hours. The DLP committed to providing marketing (advertising) and paid entertainment. Participating merchants were expected to drive the traffic in their doors with sales, specials and/or activities. When retail venues in Downtown began to decline, the DLP decided to initiate “themes” f
