Are you tired of going out to the same old places on Friday nights and looking for something new and different to do? Thanks to the Nelson Fine Arts Center and other downtown merchants, you have some alternatives.
Every first Friday of the month the Nelson Fine Arts Center collaborates with other East Main Street establishments such as Artopia, and the Hands On Museum, to put together an event full of art, music and food. This event is called, you guessed it, First Friday.
“We started it six years ago as a gallery reception, but as time went by we decided to make it a whole downtown thing,” said Dick Nelson, owner of Nelson Fine Arts Center.
Over the years the crowd size has run around 200 to 300 people gathering just inside the Nelson Gallery, to overall numbers reaching about 500 throughout the downtown area.
According to Nelson, parts of Main and Roan streets are closed off to traffic for the night and restaurants, including Russo’s and Taste Budz, keep later hours. A band plays outside of the Nelson around 7:30 p.m. and the Hands On Museum will show a free movie at 6:30 p.m. This month’s movie is Monsters, Inc.
“We figured since there were already so many people downtown, we might as well show a movie every first Friday of the month to bring families in,” said Kristine Amerine Carter, marketing and membership manager of the Hands On Museum.
The event has expanded from a basic gallery reception to a street festival that emphasizes a celebration of artists and musicians.
Half of the year’s monthly First Fridays will feature the artwork of East Tennessee State University students and are dedicated to the ETSU students.
The rest will feature local artists, and this month will feature an exhibit called “The Clicking Age Photography Show.” Artists will be on hand to discuss their works.
“I had never even heard about it,” said sophomore Megan Smith. “It sounds really cool though, definitely something I want to go check out.”
Nelson refers to First Friday as Johnson City’s best kept secret. “It’s different than going out to a movie or a bar,” he said. “It gives college students something different to do on a Friday night.”
First Friday is on Oct. 5 from 7 p.m. until around 11 p.m. It is hosted by The Friends of Olde Downtowne, who also organize the Blue Plum Festival.
For more information you can contact the Nelson Fine Art Center at 423-926-2931, the Hands On Museum at 423-234-4263 or the First Friday’s Web site at http://www.firstfridayjc.com/

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