Floating bubbles, sidewalk dance parties and the distinct scratch of chalk against concrete transformed Avenue A on Friday, June 5, as downtown Turners Falls came alive for its monthly First Friday celebration.
One the evening’s main attractions, the Chalk Walk, invited children and adults alike to stop by Spinner Park, pick up some chalk and sketch along the sidewalks. Administered by the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, the free community event featured a casual competition structured by downtown district coordinator Christian LaPlante. Participants registered for three specific contest categories: Best in Show, Best Youth Entry and Most “Turners” Art.
According to LaPlante, local businesses have been collaborating to identify key priority projects for Turners Falls. A primary goal was to continue expanding First Friday events, which local shop owners have successfully spearheaded for the past few years.
“We’ve been doing some additional promotion for the event, but we’re also looking to increase the utilization of public spaces during First Fridays,” LaPlante said. “And so, one of the first ideas we had was to do a chalk-based event. We have this free event here where people can sign up and really just doodle on the sidewalks and have a fun time.”
Artists worked on their sidewalk displays from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. before a panel of judges walked Avenue A to select the winners. Competition entry was entirely optional, allowing dozens of casual participants to create art just for fun. Local artist Susan Blauner took home the prize for the Most “Turners” Art category, winning a $10 gift card to Country Creemee and an art print of the salt dough mural displayed on the Montague Town Hall.
“I went to a show at the [Shea Theater Arts Center] and I left a little early, so I was just walking around, and there was a DJ playing music, people were dancing on the sidewalk … I had actually forgotten about it but when I got there I remembered ‘oh that’s right there’s chalk,'” Blauner said. “The funny thing is when I signed up I just wanted to do it because I’m an artist and I also really enjoy community; I love living in Turners, I’ve lived here for over 20 years.”
Children claimed much of the pavement space, drawing flowers, Pokémon and colorful self-portraits. One parent, Jen English, and her daughter teamed up for a joint piece, enjoying the shared family time downtown.
“[It] was a great activity that people of all ages seemed to enjoy,” English said. “My daughter, who is 10, loved creating her chalk drawing and entering the contest. We even did a collaborative submission as well. It was just as fun to see what other people were creating along the sidewalk.”
At the Chalk Walk, Greenfield Savings Bank set up a prize wheel for passersby. One of the bank staff members, Briggs Doxzen, brought his kids along to join the festivities.
“It’s one of the First Fridays that they’ve looked forward to, and it was also just really cool for them to not just be around other kids that were chalking on the pavement,” Doxzen said.
He added that seeing adults create beautiful artwork alongside the kids was an inspiring experience for the whole family. Doxzen noted how wonderful it was to watch people of all ages express their creativity, whether they were competing or just playing along. He even found himself unexpectedly picking up a piece of chalk to join in the fun.
In addition to the Chalk Walk, several other events were simultaneously taking place in downtown Turners Falls. Local shops and galleries hosted live music, a historic downtown walking tour, an outdoor disco party and an interactive group art show. Collectively, the events aimed to generate consistent foot traffic and introduce visitors to the variety of businesses that operate in the town.
“This is the first year we’re doing a whole bunch more promotion behind it,” LaPlante said. “Businesses have really taken this on all on their own and put all these fun events together every single month. Turners Falls should be really proud of what we’ve done so far.”
For future First Friday schedules and upcoming event announcements, community members can follow @firstfridayturnersfalls on Instagram.
