The classic Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray will show at 6pm and 8:30pm during the Feb. 7 First Friday. Advance tickets are $5 and available online at www.tickets.queenbryantx.com/tickets.
Kick off the beginning of a new month with not one but two opportunities to relax and soak up the historic sights and scenes of downtown Bryan.
From artist cooperatives and bookstores to craft breweries and tattoo shops, downtown Bryan has a place for everyone when the monthly First Friday and Third Thursday Art Step events return Feb. 7 from 5 to 11pm and Feb. 20 from 6 to 9pm, respectively. While First Friday can draw 3,000 to 5,000 visitors monthly, Third Thursday Art Step is a more relaxed way to experience art and artistry in downtown. Both events offer free, family friendly activities in addition to the local merchants who are the centerpiece of downtown Bryan’s shopping, dining, and entertainment.
For First Friday, most businesses stay open till 11pm or later, guaranteeing that downtown Bryan is always filled with the sounds of live music and the aroma of signature dishes from pizza to farm-to-table fare, allowing locals and visitors get to know their downtown neighbors.
“[First Friday] attracts everyone,” says Hannah Hernandez, events coordinator for the Downtown Bryan Association. “We want everyone from families with little kids, college students, and young professionals. You don’t have to come down here and spend money; you can find a store you’ve never seen before or go to the free concert at The Palace.”
First Friday’s growing popularity is a boon to locals, visitors, and to the downtown merchants, as well.
“[First Friday] is the lifeblood of our little shop,” says Ed Davis of Ed’s Bookshop. It would be difficult to make the month without the sales made during the monthly event, Davis says.
Other business owners say the same.
“I would love First Friday every Friday,” says Carla Cordova, general manager for 3rd On Main Kitchen.
Finding out what downtown Bryan has to offer during First Friday has encouraged people to return for the monthly Third Thursday Art Step. Organized by The Frame Gallery owner Greta Watkins, Art Step offers a smaller, more intimate way to experience downtown Bryan.
Started in 2005 – and rejuvenated in 2018 – Third Thursday Art Step beckons visitors to stroll the brick-lined streets while enjoying art exhibits and performances.
“We want people to come downtown to support the arts,” says Watkins, who also is the originator of First Friday. Downtown Bryan is now a designated Texas Cultural District as a result of all the ways businesses have incorporated the arts into downtown shops.
There is free on-street parking during both events, though organizers block off traffic on 26th and 28th Streets on First Friday for family friendly activities and sidewalk chalk drawing. Additional parking in the Roy Kelly Parking Garage on E. 27th St. is free for the first hour and $1 for each additional hour.
For the adventurous, hop on a Blue Duck electric scooter, strategically placed around downtown Bryan and at Blinn College by the city of Bryan. Rides cost $1 to activate the scooter and $0.25 per minute to operate, according to the DBA website. The scooters are geofenced to operate only within designated areas in Bryan.
For more information on all downtown events, visit www.downtownbryan.com.
