While the Fourth of July holiday is closing banks and government offices, downtown officials have been working to make sure shops stay open.
Pat Randolph, owner of Remember This, checks sign in her shop window.
This year, the holiday falls on a "First Friday," forcing store owners to decide between taking a day off or being open with the art galleries that will host visitors into the evening for the monthly art event.
LancasterARTS, which promotes the arts in Lancaster, has been helping nudge shopkeepers to stay open while getting the word to visitors that downtown retail isn't closing down on Friday.
"I think we have a very good showing of shops open," said Elizabeth Todd Lambert, president of LancasterARTS, estimating that three-quarters of the retail stores downtown will be doing business Friday.
In June, along with its monthly newsletter, LancasterARTS sent out display posters declaring: "You Can Count on First Friday in Lancaster," which many art galleries and downtown shops have in their windows.
An informal survey of shops on the first several blocks of North Prince and Queen streets largely confirmed Lambert's estimate — although some store owners said they would be adjusting their hours or just seeing how things go. Most restaurants in the stretch will be open.
Yet Steve Murray of Zap & Co. in the 300 block of North Queen Street, said he closes his shop on the Fourth of July no matter what.
"We've had plans for a while," Murray said.
Some store owners in the Shops at Hager, which is next to Central Market, said the market's being open until 2 p.m. was a big factor for them not to close shop.
Central Market manager Michael Ervin said the decision to open the market — but close two hours early —was made by standholders. He added that he expected "nearly all" the standholders to be there.
The downtown market opens on the days before Christmas and New Year's if those holidays fall on market days, while Easter, Memorial Day and Labor Day always fall on non-market days.
Ervin said that leaves the Fourth of July as the only "wild card" holiday that could possibly fall on a market day and force standholders to make a decision about whether to open.
But Ervin said opening this Friday was not controversial.
"Fourth of July is more of a picnic event and of course we have a lot of products that are perfect for picnics," Ervin said.
Many of the shops in the first block of North Queen Street will be closed Friday, although three blocks north, most shops in the 300 block — with the already noted exception of Zap & Co. — will open for the holiday.
"We didn't even talk about it. It was just a given," said Pat Randolph, owner of Remember This, at 320 N. Queen St., which sells antiques and collectibles.
Randolph said First Friday has proven to be an important day for the block, which has worked to create an identity as a unique shopping destination.
"What First Friday does is bring people in here that don't know we're open," she said.
First Friday will next fall on July 4 in 2014, although Lambert said she has flagged another possibly problematic First Friday in 2010: January 1.
"We're not predicting anything yet for that," Lambert said.
Staff writer Chad Umble can be reached at cumble@LNPnews.com or 481-6031.
(71)
