We are so excited around here we can barely contain ourselves.
Third Thursdays is coming to Historic Downtown Chelan on June 16th! In honor of the wonderful art that the Lake Chelan Art’s Council will be exhibiting next week for the Arts Festival, we decided that June’s theme would be “Art is for Everyone”.
You might be asking why Third Thursdays? The idea of Third Thursdays stemmed from the popular First Fridays that were held in downtown Chelan in past years. Recognizing that Fridays are busy already, Kiersten and I reimagined the event to encourage people to come downtown and start their weekend early.
Presenting sponsors, Chris Millsap at RE/MAX Advantage, Sandy Calicoat at Caliber Home Loans and Coron Polley at VIP Insurance share the same vision – to create a day for residents and visitors of all ages to gather and have fun in Chelan’s historic downtown core.
Their generous sponsorship ensures the activities are offered for free or low cost and available to everyone. We can’t thank them enough for this sponsorship.
You might also be asking how we decided on themes and activities. A Third Thursdays committee made up of local business owners and residents, the Chelan Farmer’s Market, the Lake Chelan Arts Council, and the Chelan Public Library helped us finalized the details for monthly themes and activities. Each Third Thursday of the month through September will feature a different focus and include themed activities for people to come together in Chelan’s charming historic downtown. You can look forward to “Health and Nature” in July.
Simply put, our purpose in holding Third Thursdays is to create a welcoming and inclusive downtown Chelan and promote it as an exciting place to gather, shop, eat, and play. We want to encourage togetherness and community here in the heart of the Lake Chelan Valley.
For a full list of the day’s activities, click here.
This first Third Thursday will feature a mix of free self-guided, all-day activities and classes hosted by historic downtown Chelan businesses. Self-guided activities include a bilingual Story Walk along the Riverwalk Park trail with the book Señorita Mariposa We want to thank the Chelan Public Library for putting the Story Walk together. There is also an art walk along Woodin Avenue storefronts featuring paintings by the Roots Community School – thanks to the amazing artists at Roots and to Nancy Crandall with the Lake Chelan Arts Council for spearheading a true representation of what “Art is for Everyone” means.
You also get to be an art sleuth – tracking down paintings from a recent (fictional) art heist. Complete the clues on the form and be entered for a prize! And don’t forget to join the clue-driven sculpture scavenger hunt around downtown.
Local artist Sue Clouse will be at Riverwalk Books with her Chelan-inspired art and pottery and she will be generously donating 10% of her proceeds to the Chelan Museum (one of our favorite places to visit!)
The beloved Chelan Farmer’s Market starts at 2 p.m. at Riverwalk Park, and there will be food specials offered along Woodin Ave. from our amazing downtown merchants.
For those looking to flex their creative muscles, there will be a birdhouse painting class at the Vogue from 3-5 PM, butterfly mask making activity at the Farmer’s Market from 4-5 PM, and painting class on the back patio of Goldie’s from 5-7 PM. Supplies are limited for these ‘maker’s’ workshops, so make sure to get your kids (or yourself) there sooner than later.
The Ruby Theatre will host a free showing of “Sing” from 4-6 PM (seats available until full). It’s a wonderful family movie at a wonderful family theater (one steeped in Chelan’s rich and interesting history).
The always popular Music in the Park at Riverwalk Park pavilion will kick off at 5 PM. Restaurants are still open, so grab yourself take-out and come down with a blanket or a chair to listen to Aaron Crawford.
We can’t wait to see you on Thursday! #ComeDowntownChelan
– Aimee Sheridan, Executive Director