By Brooke Szpaicher
There is something truly special about this little village of Ellicottville we call home. The businessowners and community members are always working together to make something bigger and better! You may have driven through the village on a Friday evening and noticed live music, face painting, and other sorts of fun; that’s only a little bit of what happens at Stroll the Streets. I caught up with local businessowner, Jessica Gilbert, owner of Ava Grace Fashions here in Ellicottville.
The Villager (V): Can you start out by giving us a little background, who you are, your involvement with Stroll the Streets…
Jessica Gilbert (JG): I am Jessica Gilbert. I own Ava Grace Fashions here in Ellicottville, NY. My family and I have lived here for just about 15 years. I have been on the Stroll the Streets committee since it started. As other volunteers have gotten busy and moved on to other endeavors, I have stuck with our event to organize and keep it going. I love Ellicottville and like giving back to this community in this way.
(V): What is Stroll the Streets?
(JG): Stroll the Streets was started by a group of local business owners in Spring of 2017. We had hopes to create a lot of fun on our streets to bring locals downtown weekly and secondarily to encourage tourists to come in on Fridays to extend their weekends and add another night’s stay in the village helping all our small businesses: lodging, retail, and restaurants alike. Each week we have a balloon twister and face painter and a musical performing person or group. We also encourage businesses to have a fun activity for people to participate in on the sidewalks. In the past, we have seen henna tattoos, rock painting, sidewalk chalk, super-sized bubbles, the Limbo and more. It really depends on what the businesses can do with their staffing availability but it’s best if it’s something people can pick up and do on their own.
(Info is available on the Facebook page or our website: strollthestreetsellicottville.com) A few years later the Ellicottville Farmer’s Market was added to Friday evening festivities and has been well received. Caitlin Croft and several vendors in the market organize that annually. We’ve found a great synergy in working together for the benefit of each event. The market takes place at the 1887 building front yard each week with a wide variety of crafts, baked goods, and farm fresh items. Their info is available on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/EllicottvilleFarmersMarket.
(V): When does it take place?
(JG): We’ve chosen to start the Friday after Summer Music Festival the last few years; this year we are starting July 8th. Each week entertainment and the Farmer’s Market happens from 4-7pm. In case of bad weather, we do try to strategically use overhangs in front of businesses to allow our street side music and face painting to happen rain or shine. End date for the Stroll is the Friday of Labor Day weekend with the Farmer’s Market having a goal to extend to end of September if possible.
(V): Who is involved?
(JG): The Rotary of Ellicottville has been instrumental in continuing Stroll. The members have helped volunteering and help with fundraising to pay for entertainers and advertising. We also cannot forget our amazing sponsors either. Individuals and businesses have donated ellicottvillerotary.com/donate (please make sure you let them know it’s for Stroll the Streets). Many businesses have been with us since we started and help annually. Any donations can be sent to the Rotary of Ellicottville with a note for use to support Stroll the Streets. I am currently booking musical acts. I would also love to see more local groups, churches, youth organizations participate with sidewalk activities for the public to do while they have an opportunity to spread the word about their offerings. Anyone looking to volunteer one or every Friday can reach out to me Jessica at jessavagrace@gmail.com or message the Facebook page.
Be sure to check out the various Facebook pages and learn how you can get involved or simply stop down on a Friday evening and check out all the activities offered!