Press release from City of Hendersonville:
The Friends of Downtown are focused on providing exciting and relevant events that add to the character and spirit of our community while supporting our entrepreneurial community and making the district a wonderful place to live. We also place a tremendous value on every one of our volunteers who help us successfully launch these events year in and year out.
These past few months have placed an immense strain on our downtown business community. While a number of bright spots have emerged, from the heartwarming community response to the Love Hendo campaign, to the resilient spirit displayed by many of our district’s small businesses, our focus during the next six to twelve months must be on identifying strategies that assist our district in moving forward in the midst of this unprecedented pandemic. It is because of this that we have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Rhythm & Brews Concert Series and turn our organizational focus to supporting our downtown districts through activities like the “Hendersonville Farmers Market” which will kick off Saturday June 6th on Maple Street in the Seventh Avenue district, and the recently approved “Open Streets Weekend” scheduled for May 29th to May 31st to allow expanded shopping and dining at our downtown businesses. Open Streets will kick off on Main Street on Friday, May 29th at 6:00 pm and continue throughout the weekend.
Alongside our event planning we’ve been working hard to help our businesses identify smart ways to protect themselves, their employees and you as they move towards reopening. This includes the Safe Hendo pledge that many of our downtown businesses have taken. This pledge shows you their commitment to reopening with care! Outlining best practices in PPE, cleaning and social distancing, these businesses want you to know just how they are operating. To learn more about who has taken the pledge and to see what that pledge entails visit lovehendo.com/safehendo.
Beginning this past Friday May 22nd at 5:00 pm, a second wave of business openings occurred as restaurants and salons were able to operate at 50% capacity. To support a Safe Hendo experience, visitors to downtown are and will be encouraged to practice the three W’s; Wear a cloth mask, Wait 6 feet apart and Wash your hands! Hendersonville continues to shine as a place that is attentive to the needs of the entire community, an awareness that routinely inspires our Love Hendo spirit, and an attitude that we know can be collectively applied to your downtown visits.
As we move forward this summer, know that the Friends of Downtown Hendersonville want to keep giving you opportunities to Love Hendo! We believe that the Hendersonville Farmer’s Market & Open Street programs present the most effective way to for us to accomplish that in the current environment. We hope to add elements to these activities as guidance regarding mass gatherings shifts, always with a focus on our community’s overall well-being. These are challenging times to be sure, but we can’t imagine ourselves with a better opportunity to counter the impact of the pandemic in any other community. You’ve made it clear that you want to keep Loving Hendo and we hope these activities will give each of you a way to do that. We look forward to seeing you, at six feet distance of course, soon!
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