Editorial

Downtown becoming an event not to miss

Thursday, August 11, 2016
Beautiful in any light due to recent facade renovations, downtown Greencastle looks especially breathtaking to local merchants when it's packed with people, which is often the case these days. (Banner Graphic/ERIC BERNSEE)

As they lovingly say on the North Side of Chicago these days on shirts and signs ... "It's happening."

And piece by piece, like the creation of a good sports team, downtown Greencastle has been coming together with more varied business offerings and activities.

Music and fun have been on tap every First Friday and will continue through the fall.

Yes, in what is becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy, you can see the crowds growing. The energy rising. Stellar things happening.

And that's in a community where in the past most people believed that when the fair began, the rest of the world stopped until school got rolling in earnest.

Not so any more.

Check out last weekend. On Friday evening, despite savage temperatures and heat indices -- along with the invasion of those darned corn flies -- the crowd had again grown to watch Philip Stevens Open Road Show. And in the process, they were treated to a first-ever First Friday marriage proposal.

It's a happening all right.

"People don't want to miss it," agreed Gail Smith of Almost Home and The Swizzle Stick who initially advanced the notion of First Friday to the community back in the late winter of 2015 and has watched it take off.

Just last Saturday, Taphouse 24 at Indiana and Walnut streets had a trial run/soft opening for friends and family, while a good crowd swelled the now-open Friday, Saturday and Sunday Wasser Brewing Co. at Franklin and Vine streets. Smith's spots, Don Julio's and Moore's didn't seem to be hurting either.

"This all has given people a reason to stay and eat and have fun in Greencastle instead of going to Avon or Plainfield," Smith added, "And the more choices we have, the more often you're going to eat out here."

And listen to music as well.

Wasser will have its first band in the house on Saturday with Black Market Vinyl featured in a show starting at 9 p.m.

Taphouse 24 has also promised regular Saturday night entertainment to go along with what Smith has traditionally offered at her establishments on the north side of the square.

And Smith's big annual Greencastle Music Festival is ready to rock on Saturday, Aug. 27 with music from 4-11 p.m. outside on the square. Hint: The Louisville Crashers will be back. If you were there last year, you know that is a welcome sight.

As is the excitement downtown. It's like all we're missing is the Petula Clark's song ... "The lights are much brighter there, you can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares and go, downtown ..."

So whether it's a romantic wedding proposal, a reunion of friends or a back-to-school send-off, it's becoming the place to gather.

You can't say we didn't tell you so ...