Society on the Summerland Businesses’ Block Party
The 38 businesses on Lillie Avenue in Summerland joined together for a block party and to invite the local adjoining towns to get to know them. The event took place Saturday, July 29, from 11 am to 5 pm, all along the avenue. Walking the approximated 7/10th of a mile route, you’ll find a variety of local shops and food places, from the vintage Bikini Factory and The Nugget Bar and Grill established in the 1960s to the upscale Home Crush furnishings store, whose Summerland location is only about a year old. Business categories include home furnishings, antiques, stationery, liquor, rugs, and religious items; dining spots for coffee, breakfast, lunch, burgers, pizza, and dinner, plus a winery; as well as fitness, esthetic spas, and of course a church, fire department, gas station, and post office!
The event came about when Aimee Miller of Home Crush, Kara Richard and Jonathan Dawson of the Summerland Salon and Spa, President of Summerland Beautiful D’Arcy Cornwall, Megan Tingstrom of Red Kettle Coffee, and Leslie Person Ryan of Farm to Paper got together and talked shop, literally. Kara and Megan mentioned to the group they have a bevy of pop-up vendors and music in their outdoor patio areas monthly and thought it would be fun to have all the shops doing something. Miller and Cornwall went door to door to all the businesses with the idea of a block party, which all the businesses agreed to join, and added a donation of a gift card or item for the gift basket free raffle. The gift basket totaling $2,000 was given to one lucky winner from all the entrees via the QR codes at each business and an Instagram post with the required hashtags. Miller put together a trifold map listing all businesses with their website and street address, and brief history of Summerland. The map is free and can be picked up at any of the businesses.
The event saw 200 people at Home Crush dancing to the Kinsella Brothers Band on the outside patio. Other big crowds were also noted at the Summerland Salon and Spa who sponsored 11 pop-up vendors, The Nugget Bar and Grill, Summerland Winery, and the Summerland Beach Café. After walking Lillie Avenue a few times, I circled back to Home Crush just as the band was packing up. Miller and I sat for a bit sipping bottled water in the shade to beat the 80-degree heat. She was upbeat that the event was so successful and is already planning a November-December holiday event. She shared, “It is a very harmonious group here, the world’s too small, we are here for each other. We look forward to reviving the Summerland community through our small businesses. Come by, pick up a map of the businesses,
and say hi!”
