The week before January 15th, Facebook was on fire! People were sharing information about an event called Third Thursday on Third. The Downtown Alexandria Merchants, with the help of the Downtown Alexandria Revitalization Effort (DARE) and local media, organized a progressive open house for businesses on and along Third Street. “We wanted people to check out what Downtown Alexandria has been up to,” says Tobias Wilhelm, President of DARE. “The merchants thought it would be cool to have specials, entertainment, food…and lots of fun. People had dinner, checked out the musicians, enjoyed dessert, and had a few drinks–Downtown Alexandria was busier than it has been in fifty years, considering we didn’t have a festival or concert to bring people in.”

Businesses participating in January’s event included Finnegans Wake, Embers, Crave, The Sandwich Shoppe, Diamond Grill, Sentry Drugs, Sentry Grill, JB Studio Gallery, The Gem and The Loft on Third. Specials included $4.00 Martinis and half price appetizers, art exhibits and local musicians, and Kent’s Gumbo at Sentry Grill. “We are hoping to have even more Downtown Businesses participate in February,” says Jennifer Atwood, owner of Embers Restaurant. “Downtown Alexandria is on the cusp of growing into the kind of melting pot of culture, food and entertainment we see in other places, like Lafayette or even Austin. People are excited about seeing what we all have in store, what will happen next–instead of having to go out of town to have a good time, they can come here. Merchants are working together to make sure there is something for everyone.”

“We will be publishing the specials and entertainment offers for the February Third Thursday on Third in the next couple of days–the date will be February 19th. For details, check out the DARE page on Facebook (www.facebook.com/darealexandria),” says Wilhelm. “And if you are interested in having your own business downtown, feel free to send us a message and we will try to get you in touch with someone who has space.”