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Sidewalk Sales, Music, Food & Fun at Block Party on Penn Avenue
Supporting Local Just Got Fun!
If you love fall (and what true Northeastern Pennsylvanian doesn’t?), then Downtown Scranton is the place to be on Saturday, November 4.
From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., enjoy family-friendly activities while you shop and dine at the Block Party on Penn Avenue. Hosted by The Giving Tree Wellness Center, the event is supported by Scranton Tomorrow during Fall Into Downtown, which encourages everyone to support local.
Block Party on Penn Avenue features sidewalk sales, live music, face painting, food and fun at multiple businesses along the 300 block of Penn Avenue. Several businesses will utilize space outdoors, weather permitting, and there will be plenty to see and do in the parking lot adjacent to The Giving Tree Wellness Center at 311 Penn Avenue.
The event is rooted in a brainstorming session between Amanda Gentile, owner, The Giving Tree Wellness Center, and Olivia Bennington, the center’s manager. Like so many of us, they love autumn in our area, and they wanted to create a seasonal promotion to encourage people to patronize locally-owned businesses in Downtown Scranton. With support from Scranton Tomorrow, they floated the idea to fellow business owners in their block ― fondly known as the Penn Avenue Crew ― and the response was overwhelmingly positive. There’s great camaraderie among this group. “Everybody wants to be involved,” Gentile said. “They’re excited and I think most people in this area love fall, so what better way to celebrate than with a little block party?”
Projects like this one are essential to supporting the health of the local economy because they drive traffic into independently-owned businesses. Small businesses are the backbone of the economy in the City of Scranton, Lackawanna County, and throughout the Commonwealth. According to PA Business One-Stop Shop, “Pennsylvania is home to 1.1 million small businesses and employs 2.5 million individuals — about half of the state’s private workforce. Small businesses account for 99.6 percent of businesses in the state.”
Statistics like these are at the heart of why supporting local businesses matters. “When you make a purchase from a local business, you’re investing in your community because that business is contributing to the tax base, employing local people, donating to local charitable causes, and patronizing other local businesses to operate,” said Liz Baldi, business development director, Scranton Tomorrow. “The Block Party on Penn Avenue is a great way to spend your Saturday with family and friends, and you can feel good about the purchases you make while you’re shopping and dining in Downtown Scranton.”
For a complete list of participating businesses and schedule of activities, visit our blog and be sure to follow Scranton Tomorrow on Facebook and Instagram.
Featured image (top): Support local! From left; Amanda Gentile, owner, Olivia Bennington, manager, The Giving Tree Wellness Center, encourage everyone to patronize small businesses in Downtown Scranton.
