Alpena DDA plans events outside of peak tourism months to bring the community together and support businesses | News, sports, jobs

The Alpena Downtown Development Authority, along with its many partners, has created a substantial calendar of events over time and is seeking to add more that it believes will appeal to residents and out-of-towners.

In recent weeks alone, the DDA and local businesses have organized Witches Night Out, a sneak peek at Halloween and Day of the Dead celebrations.

For both events, many people who went into town dressed up in costumes and visited local businesses, many of which had games, photo ops and special food and drink options.

Anne Gentry, executive director of the DDA, said employees and partners are always coming up with ideas for events that they think will be well received, and Witches Night Out and Day of the Dead are just two of them. She said other events, such as the annual Flower Festival and the Ice Festival, have become popular and well attended. Gentry said hosting events throughout the calendar year is good for small businesses and gives people more to do.

News file Photo Stacy Rieger arranges a bouquet of flowers at one of the flower bars that were set up earlier this year for the Flower Festival in Alpena. Rieger manned the bar for Classic Designs by Doreen Thomas.

“We have made a conscientious effort to host downtown events that are not during the peak tourist season, to bring people downtown year-round and support downtown businesses,” she said. “Earlier this year we took a closer look at all the events we organised, why we have them and whether they achieve our goals. This led us to scrap the Chili Chowder Cook-off and focus our efforts on new events such as the Day of the Dead or the upcoming New Year’s Eve celebration. Both new events occur at times of year when business tends to slow down. We also prioritize events that have strong buy-in from downtown businesses, as well as the help of partners, to bring them to life.”

Gentry said the DDA tries to include activities for children and families at specific events. She said there are often craft stalls, games and other fun things to do.

Some of the events aimed at families include the downtown Trunk or Treat and trick-or-treating event, the annual holiday parade and more.

Gentry said downtown businesses are very receptive to events and come up with unique promotions and offers during these events to motivate customers to their stores. She said buy-in from business owners is key to making all events successful.

“These events not only increase the quality of life for residents, but also strengthen downtown businesses by boosting sales during the slower months,” she said. “For example, during our Flower Festival this year, we had four downtown businesses reporting that they had their best sales day ever on the Saturday of the festival. You can’t argue that these events are economic drivers in the downtown area.”

Courtesy Photo A large, illuminated spider web hung over the alley in downtown Alpena during the Witches Night Out event last month.

Earlier this year, the DDA expanded its social district. It now extends further along 2nd Avenue and along Chisholm Street to the George Washington Bridge. Gentry said she hopes to host events in other parts of downtown and that businesses in that part of the district will rally to help.

“We hope to see more events in the expanded district, but ultimately it depends on the participation of those businesses,” she said. “All of our events are open for DDA businesses to participate in, and we have already seen businesses across the extended area participating and benefiting from them, especially our larger events such as Flower Festival.”

Another new event organized by the DDA and its partners is the new Sunrise Side New Year’s Eve Celebration. The event is still in the works, but there will be live entertainment downtown and businesses serving food and drinks will be open.

Gentry said there is currently no major New Year’s Eve party in the region and she expects it will be a hit with many.

She said more details about the New Year’s Eve party will be released in the coming weeks.

Courtesy Photo The Witches Night Out event in Alpena drew many women downtown last month for fun, games and promotions. Many of them dressed as witches and often posed for photos together.

News File Photo An artist from Ice Creations creates an ice throne at Culligan Plaza during the Alpena Ice Fest in Alpena in February. Ice Fest is one of many new events that the Alpena Downtown Development Authority and its partners have organized.