MAIN STREET COMMITTEE PROGRESS REPORT
The Chamber’s Main Street committee continues to meet monthly to discuss upcoming events and how to keep Main Street vibrant. Here are some of the projects the committee has been working on:
Promoting First Fridays
Supporting the festivals in Cold Spring
Preparing Main Street for the Seastreak boats coming this October
Planning the second annual Cold Spring Aglow holiday celebration
FIRST FRIDAYS
Orange flags can be seen lining the streets marking participating village businesses on the first Friday of every month. Where businesses have seen the success with greatest community involvement and participation are in the cases of businesses creating special art and food events for patron enjoyment: businesses that curate gallery shows and openings, restaurants that offer special prix-fixe dinner nights, shops that offer special tastings and refreshments for the night. The most successful blocks have more than one business participating, so there is a sense of more than one activity going on. The committee also noted that First Friday orange flags are most noticeable when they are hung from a flag pole off the face of storefronts and encourage participants to do so.
SUMMER FESTIVALS IN COLD SPRING
Last month’s Hops on the Hudson craft beef festival brought hundreds nearing thousands of visitors to Cold Spring’s Mayor’s Park. Some of the local restaurants reported that the festival brought in additional diners for lunch and dinner, and local merchants are always appreciative to any event that puts Cold Spring on the map as a day trip destination for future visitors.
Next month, Saturday, August 10, from 11:00 a.m - 6:00 p.m. and Sunday, August 11, 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., the Putnam Food and Wine Fest will come offering a taste of a selection of New York state wineries, cideries, local eats, and many local business vendors. In it’s ninth year of operating, this is the first year the festival will be located in Cold Spring and the village’s business are sure to benefit by having such a historically well attended event located at Mayor’s Park this year.
SEASTREAK ARRIVES THIS OCTOBER
The Main Street discussed the arrival of Seastreak this October through early November, and how to best manage and support the heavy foot traffic the boats bring. With a capacity of delivering anywhere from 400-1000 people a day, the village can quickly become overwhelmed. Last year restaurants reported food shortages and were unable to keep up with the demands. The Main Street committee is looking for pop-up food vendors and businesses that can pre-make picnic take-out boxes, and are looking for innovative solutions to seating shortages. If you would like to partner with us on this opportunity, please contact us at info(at)coldspringnychamber.com.
THE SECOND ANNUAL COLD SPRING AGLOW
Last year was the launch of a new tradition in the village, Cold Spring Aglow, an evening of holiday candlelit strolling on Main Street. After our initial first run of it, we have some insights into how we can do it better this year and are looking for local organizations who would like to partner with us on this project. Please contact us if you are interested in volunteering, info(at)coldspringnychamber.com