New BIA events make for Friday nightlife

Creemore BIA is hosting a series of free Friday night events throughout the summer, kicking off with a street picnic on July 5.
Organizers have encouraged restaurants and shops to stay open late to create a nightlife vibe, enticing residents and visitors to linger in town into the evening.
Picnic tables will be set up on the street for the July 5 Mill Street Picnic, organized by darci-que and Emily Fischl.
The idea, said darci, is for the whole community to come together for a good old-fashioned picnic.
People are welcome to pack a picnic or grab something on special offer from local restaurants, a drink from the bar and join in a town-wide picnic, done up in red and white gingham. There will also be games and activities set up for the children.
Creemore Lights, a classic car cruise night, returns for the July 12 event organized by Corey Finkelstein. Visitors are encouraged to stroll the streets and check out vintage vehicles from the 60s through to the 90s.
Juno Award winning singer/songwriter Justin Rutledge will play an outdoor street concert on July 19, organized by Sara Hershoff.
Nancy Johnston is planning an art night for July 26, featuring local artists and art on the street, and a wellness component including yoga and singing bowls.
August 2 will be a games night, organized by events committee chair Heather Harding. Crokinole boards will line the street and champions will be crowned.
Hershoff has booked blues band Samantha Martin and Delta Sugar for a second street concert on August 9 and she has a Mill Street Hoedown planned for August 16. People of all ages are encouraged to take part in this old-fashioned contra and square dance on Mill Street, with live music from Relative Harmony.
To wrap up the event series, Finkelstein has organized a Jeep Jamboree on August 23. Jeeps of all vintages, old and new, off-road and on will bring in an entirely different car show crowd.
Instead of focusing on large, single day events, the BIA decided to try these Friday nights as a way of bringing people into the village and extending peak weekend shopping hours and to promote Creemore as a unique and cultured experience. Events run from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. each Friday.