Market Night draws a crowd; more events planned downtown
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Stewart White waits on customer Delonda Anderson at Granny’s Attic antiques during last Saturday’s Market Night event in downtown Clinton. Looking on is Bobby Tolley, who also works at the store. - G. Chambers Williams III
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Mickey Allred, left, of Norris; Karen Eslinger of Clinton; and Diane Allred of Norris take a break on Saturday evening as they participate in Market Night, hosted by the Historic Downtown Clinton Merchants Association. - G. Chambers Williams III
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Stephanie Brooks waits on customers Eli Slover and Elizabeth Troyna at the Hot Dog Hut food booth on Market Street in downtown Clinton last Saturday during the Market Night event. - G. Chambers Williams III
Downtown Clinton merchants reported a good turnout for last Saturday’s Market Night event, and there was also good attendance at the first “Tasty Thursday Food Truck Rally” last week.
“We were busy all day,” Stewart White, who was working the register at Granny’s Attic antiques at 341 Market St., said as the evening event got well underway. “We opened our doors at 10 a.m. and have hardly had a break.”
The Market Night event ran from 5-8 p.m., with Market Street shut down to vehicular traffic and crowded with visitors partaking of specials in the downtown stores, and vendor booths and food trucks all along the street.
It was a hot afternoon, but there was a cloud cover for the evening event that kept the sun from making it even hotter.
Merchants up and down Market said they were pleased with Saturday’s event.
But that’s not all.
Coming Saturday, July 27, will be downtown’s “Christmas in July” event, sponsored by Historic Downtown Clinton from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Market Street.
“Beat the heat this summer with a Christmas celebration,” the organization says on its website. “Even Santa and Mrs. Claus will be in a Hawaiian shirt! Kona Ice will be on hand and participating shops will have gorgeous Christmas displays and previews.”
That will be followed by the Sip of Summerfest event at the Kincaid House. 710 Eagle Bend Road, from 6-10 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 9.
This is a beer-tasting event. Also sponsored by the Historic Downtown Clinton group, featuring area breweries, live music, contests and more.
Tickets for that event are on sale now, and generally run $81.88.
The Thursday night food truck event, held at 425 Eagle Bend Road in the vacant lot next to the former Real Dry Cleaners building, will be repeated July 25, Aug 1 and Aug. 8. There will not be a food truck rally this Thursday because of the Anderson County Fair.
Last Thursday’s event featured food by Hamock’s, Waffley Good, and the Kennedy Grill, along with a lemonade stand run by Isaiah House 117 of Anderson County.
“We did the food truck rally last year through the fall, and this year so many people have been asking about it,” Katherine Birkbeck, director of the Historic Downtown Clinton group, said last week.
“We’re now partnering with Hamock’s to hold the event in the parking lot next to where they will soon be opening their new restaurant.
The Hamock family announced earlier this year that they would be opening their new Hamock’s Restaurant in the former dry cleaners’ building probably early next year. But they have been setting up tables at local events to sell Darlene Hamock’s locally famous chicken salad and other dishes.