Hand-made art, musical entertainment and a funspace for children is returning to Pittsboro for the 2020 season of “First Sunday” downtown experiences, which kick off this Sunday.
The free event, sponsored by the Pittsboro Business Association, focuses on arts and crafts, with a selection of food vendors, and musical entertainment to be added in following months events. The event is planned to run from 12-4 p.m. on Hillsboro Street near the traffic circle. There will be a new First Sunday event each month, with Summerfest replacing First Sunday in July.
PBA board member Scott Dunham said he was excited about this year’s version, in part because the products sold by the artists are ones they made themselves.
“It’s people who actually created what they are selling, not just selling something by someone else,” Dunham said. “It’s not a flea market. It’s for creative types.”
PBA First Sunday Coordinator Kathryn Bertok agreed.
“It’s designed to bring awareness to the downtown businesses that are open on Sunday, as well as local artisans and local businesses,” she said. “It’s a great way to get to know local people, for guests able to meet business people, see non-profits, and for local artisans, it’s a great way to meet the public.”
The architectural stylings of downtown Pittsboro will be the backdrop to First Sunday events. Bertok said that it’s an opportunity to connect to the community, support local artists, and maybe find things you didn’t know were there.
Some non-profit entities will be there as well, such as Shakori Hills Music Festival, Second Bloom, and Farm Friends Rescue.
The event is dog-friendly, as well.
“It’s a fun event, with a lot of different things for sale,” Dunham said. “There’s also a kids’ area that the churches set up.”
No specific theme is set up, the festival is designed to focus on artists. Bertok said that the palette of artists is always changing. Some will repeat in each festival, but there will always be new vendors. The changing nature of the artists showing their work will give new flavors to the festival each month.
Art will be joined by food vendors as well at the event. Dunham said that there is an ever-changing list of food vendors, and it’s a chance for visitors to see some of the downtown stores that are open on Sundays.
Starting in April, there are plans for bands to add a musical soundtrack to each First Sunday event.
The festival is all about getting people to experience the downtown Pittsboro area.
“We’ll hopefully get a lot of foot traffic,” Dunham said. “There’s no underlying theme other that supporting downtown, [to] get people downtown and to see what is available.”
For Dunham, he says that the intention of the event is to show the unique flavor of the downtown shopping experience.
Bertok agreed. “It’s a big fun family event, to enjoy beautiful art, and take a stroll downtown.”