Friday Fling returns to downtown Palmer

Friday Fling returns to downtown Palmer this week and will continue through the summer. Every week brings different vendors, a variety of food trucks and live music performances from local artists. Hosted by the Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce, Friday Fling brings a sense of community to downtown.

“It’s great for the community, it’s great for our local businesses,” Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kelley Shoemake said. “People don’t just come and Friday Fling and leave. They stay here in Palmer, they grab dinner, they go out, they run to the library, they run to the grocery store and it just helps build that community… It focuses on the community of Palmer.”

Friday Fling will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. every Friday from May 15 through August 14 at the Downtown Palmer Pavilion. There will be a total of 121 different vendors throughout the season to include local artists, farmers, bakers and more. The Chamber will be alternating vendors and food trucks each week to keep things interesting and provide visitors with a slightly new experience every time they stroll through town.

“There’s always something new happening,” Shoemake said. “I don’t want you to come just once and say, hey, we’ve already done it and it’s the same thing every week. It’s going to change every week.”

A handful of new food trucks and vendors will make their appearances this summer. In an effort to boost community involvement, the Chamber has invited local farmers to bring in their produce so that visitors can restock their kitchen every Friday.

Each week will feature a music performance and highlight a new local artist. A list of performers and their appearances can be found on the Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce Facebook page.

With the library and road construction going on downtown, parking will become a bit of a task this summer. Shoemake said that the Chamber recognizes this and has been working with the City on how to best manage traffic. Parking will remain available at the Train Depot, street parking where accessible and in several lots throughout downtown to exclude the library.