Following a comfortably warm reception last year of a Sidewalk Sale on a September day, slightly cooler than the usual scorching heat of peak summer in Lawrence, this year’s event is set for this Saturday.
Folks should look for indoor and outdoor shopping from Sixth Street to South Park on Massachusetts and other downtown streets nearby.
In addition, “This event will feature not just deep discounts on the sidewalks but also new inventory, seasonal and holiday items, and a Family Fun Zone on 8th Street between Massachusetts and Vermont,” according to a news release from Downtown Lawrence Inc.
KU Athletics will be on-site with giveaways, inflatable games and activities and Baby Jay. Lawrence Mini Golf will have a popup nine-hole course available.
“Make sure to stop by US Bank Plaza at 9th and Mass. and visit the United Way booth to create Family Emergency Preparedness Kits as a service project for 9/11,” according to the release. “A display about 9/11 will be onsite to educate those who may not know or have experienced it and volunteers will be putting together Emergency Preparedness Starter Kits. Visitors can put one together for their family and then one to be donated to an agency in our community.”
Cooling stations will be available at the Watkins Museum at 11th and Massachusetts streets and at First State Bank and Trust at Sixth and Vermont streets. There will also be a water station at the US Bank Plaza at 900 Massachusetts St.
The Downtown Lawrence mobile app will offer specials and flash deals from some retailers, too. That’s available via the App Store and Google Play.
“Customers have been asking for a retail event on a weekend for years,” Sally Zogry, executive director of Downtown Lawrence Inc., said in the release. “After the popularity among retailers and shoppers of the September date for the Sidewalk Sale in 2021, and the much more agreeable weather, our group decided to hold the event on a non-KU football Saturday and encourage folks from Lawrence and the surrounding communities to come downtown to shop, dine, and support local businesses.
“We had such fun hosting our community during the Jayhawks run up to the National Championship during the Final Four. People visited with friends and neighbors and spent the day in the heart of the city and we’re here to welcome them again.”
The Sidewalk Sale and Family Fun Day is set for Saturday, Sept. 10. The grand opening of the Watkins Museum’s third floor core exhibit — several years in the works — is also set for this Saturday and Sunday to coincide with the events. Read more about that here.
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