‘Friday After 5’ Events To Draw Crowds To Park
Hoping to bring people into the downtown, the Commerce Downtown Development Authority will offer four free family events Friday evenings this spring.
“Fridays After 5” events will include two free movies and two free concerts, reports Hasco Craver, the DDA’s executive director.
The series is funded by a Georgia Council for the Arts’ Grassroots Arts Program grant.
The first event is Friday, April 25, when the DDA will show Jerry Seinfeld’s G-rated “The Bee Movie,” starting at dusk. It’s a 2007 animated comedy in which recent college graduate bee Barry B. Benson faces his career, meets humans, learns that humans “steal” honey from bees — and moves to stop this “injustice.”
However, preceding the movie, the city government will have a display of its various pieces of equipment as part of a Georgia Cities Week promotion sponsored by the Georgia Municipal Association.
“They want to raise the awareness of the services the city offers and to educate the citizens about how government works,” said Craver.
On Friday, May 9, and Friday, May 23, the DDA will host concerts at 6:00 in the park. Concessions will be available.
“We plan to have some food vendors from local restaurants,” said Craver. “People can also bring a picnic and eat at the park.”
Craver said the bands will be announced later.
“We’re looking for bluegrass or folk music,” he said, “for an intimate, very low-key evening. Bring a lawn chair, sit in the park and listen to the music.”
The bands will perform from the gazebo.
The final event is Friday, June 6, when the G-rated movie “Surf’s Up” will be shown. It’s a action-comedy behind-the-scenes look at the annual Penguin World Surfing Championship featuring Shia LaBeouf, Jeff Bridges, Zooey Deschanel and Jon Heder.
“These should be great family events,” Craver said. “The movies, and the concerts inbetween, would be great date events for husbands and wives or boyfriends and girlfriends. Come enjoy dinner in the park and music.”
