Goshen's First Fridays Birthday Bash celebrates, despite the rain

GOSHEN, Ind. -- Downtown Goshen, Inc. hosted its inaugural First Fridays Birthday Bash on Friday, June 5, from 5 to 9 p.m. throughout the historic downtown Goshen district.

First Fridays began in 2007 as a monthly block party intended to build community and strengthen downtown Goshen, and the program is credited with helping revitalize a district that was hard hit by the 2008 recession. The series now draws tens of thousands of visitors annually and runs the first Friday of each month from 5 to 9 p.m.

ABC57 Photojournalist Bobby Crain had the opportunity to talk to many of the organizers and participants about what First Fridays means in a town like Goshen.

Amanda Rose, the Director of Goshen First Fridays said "I hope that people kind of carry with them the resilience of downtown Goshen. We've got so many people making and creating some really great things, and so I want people to take away that, you know, we are really excited to bring joy to the community, and we're so glad that you keep showing up to be a part of it."

The celebration marked 19 years of the city's monthly First Friday's programming and served as a prelude to the series' 20th anniversary in June 2027. This month's event featured the return of live Wrestling at the Goshen Theater, food trucks, and shopping and dining specials at participating merchants.

The Birthday Bash highlighted the role First Fridays has played in downtown Goshen's economic and civic life, bringing residents and regional visitors together in a single evening that celebrated nearly two decades of community programming and the longevity of the businesses that anchor the district.

Wellington & Weddell Eye Care is celebrating their own huge milestone this year, and Office Manager Karen Wellington, said "It's exciting. We're thrilled to be part of the community for 100 years. This is just a fantastic place to live, work, and practice."

Karen Wellington and Dr. Brett Waddell discussed the importance of Goshen businesses supporting each other:

"I think it's just a reminder of community and supporting one another, and we support one another through familial connections, but also economically as well," said Wellington.

Brett Weddell, Doctor of Optometry and Owner of Wellington & Weddell Eye Care added "Dr. Wellington told me a long time ago, we have a business in Goshen, we provide services to Goshen, we need to also then utilize the services of Goshen."

Myron Bontrager, an owner of the Electric Brew locations, and a long-time resident of Goshen spoke about why this event is special:

"I mean, you can get good food anywhere, you can get good drinks anywhere, you can, you can do all the stuff that you can do here almost anywhere, but you can't have community. I've often described this as sort of a family reunion, where people get together, they see their friends, they hang out, they go get a drink together, they find something to eat together. So, to me, this is this is a clear demonstration of what community means."