Journal Staff
Seventeen downtown venues are participating in this week’s First Friday events May 5, offering music, dancing and even a new store grand opening.
ReFound, a clothing consignment shop, is officially opening on Friday at 161 Lochiel St., two doors west of Junior Baker, with a ribbon cutting and live music.
Manager Eve Astolfi says the new social enterprise store has been months in the making and will be fully stocked at Friday’s opening with gently used men and women’s clothing.
The hope is that the ReFound store will provide sustainable funding for Sarnia-Lambton Rebound youth programs and will eventually offer space for youth “makers” running small businesses. It will also join a growing number of downtown stores that appeal to a younger demographic.
“Downtown feels revamped,” says Astolfi. “There are lots of new stores to explore. I think downtown is a great fit for us.”
Rebound Rocks, a youth band, will perform at the ReFound opening starting at 5:30 p.m. The store is open til 8 p.m.
First Friday organizers caution that finding downtown parking may be a bit tricky because it’s also opening night of Tarzan, the Disney Stage Musical at The Imperial Theatre.
Tarzan is almost sold out so parking will be scarce downtown, they say. Theatre patrons are encouraged to arrive early and take in First Friday happenings prior to the show at 7:30 p.m.
Other planned events include:
Ups N' Downs (226 Front Street North)
Live Music with Jeff Black, 8 PM – 11 PM
Mexico (216 Front Street North)
Celebrating Cinco de Mayo : Salsa Dancers at 8 PM
The Hive Tattoo & Co (214 Front Street North)
Leann Cotton Photography 11 AM – 4 PM
Greens (196 Christina Street North)
Live Music at 6:30 PM with First and Final Chance,
Art by Emily Jacques-Hawco
Judith & Norman Alix Art Gallery (147 Lochiel Street)
Three new exhibitions: Nico Williams’ Biskaabiiyang / Returning to Ourselves, John Hartman’s Many Lives Mark This Place, and Re View 3
Music by Evan and John, Members’ reception 7 - 9 PM
The Local Pick (176 Christina Street North)
Local Handmade Art, Open till 9 PM
River Bank & Co. (172 Front Street North)
Original Paintings by Jenn Bain & Alyson Borycki 5 – 8 PM
That’s What She Grows (149a Christina Street North)
Animal Interactions 11 AM – 7 PM
revelree Nights at Collide (148 Front Street North)
Live Music with The Atomic Hearts, 7 – 10 PM
Dancing with DJ Phatfingers from 10 PM – 2 AM
theISObar at the International Symphony (143 Christina Street North)
Music by Deep Southwest, Doors Open at 7 PM
Elemental Arts Collective (on the mezzanine in the Downtown Market)
140 Christina Street North
Live Interactive Art Show 4 – 9 PM
Refined Fool Brewing Co. (137 Davis Street)
Pucker Up Paper Lips Art Display
The Sarnia Library (124 Christina Street South)
Picture Frames: the Make of the Month, 6 – 7 PM
The Lawrence House Centre for the Arts (127 Christina Street South)
Opening of the High School Art Exhibition, 6 – 9 PM
Classical Guitar Performance by Patrick Galler, 7 – 9 PM
Also, open later than usual for First Friday:
Harbour Bay Clothing (186 Front St. N.)
Open until 7 PM