Souper Saturday first event of the year downtown

Jan. 6—Souper Saturday, slated for Jan. 20, will be the first event of the new year in Claremore's expanded Historic Downtown District, now called The Lilac District.

This "soup-tasting event," as some of the members of the Merchants, Business and Building Owner committee noted during a planning meeting earlier this week, is a chance for shoppers and visitors to taste a wide selection of seasonal soups as they browse and shop from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Tasting kits will be available and include a commemorative mug, menu and tasting wristband. The tickets will also be available onsite. Details will be forthcoming.

The dozen downtown merchants and property owners who showed up for the meeting were enthusiastic about the event, offering ideas on ways to improve participation and the logistics of ladling hundreds of servings while still helping customers with purchases and information.

Claremore Main Street Executive Director Allison Dietzfeld said activities like Souper Saturday are just one of the monthly events planned to keep visitors visiting, clients coming to and shoppers shopping at the 70-plus businesses and restaurants that fill the 300, 400 and 500 blocks in Claremore's historic downtown area.

Other returning activities will be the St. Paddy's Day events, Taste of Claremore, Boots on the Boulevard, the Lilac Festival, Back to School Bash, Corporate Olympics, Masquerade Ball, Fall Festival and Dickens on the Boulevard. A new brunch and lunch event is being considered for July.

Claremore Main Street Board meetings are open to all merchants, business and building owners located along Will Rogers Boulevard, as well as the expanded area called the Lilac District, which extends north from Patti Page Boulevard to Fourth Street and Lynn Riggs Boulevard (Route 66), east across the Union Pacific Railroad tracks to include the Museum of History and The Belvidere Mansion.

Dietzfeld said downtown business owners, merchants and event citizens at-large are encouraged to be a part of the downtown economic development plan. Input from business owners, property owners and other service providers, along with community volunteers, are needed to participate in Claremore Main Street committees that include design for downtown, economic vitality, organization, promotions, and the ever-popular Dickens committee.

The organization committee will meet again Tuesday, Jan. 16, 8:45 a.m. in the Main Street office in the 400 block on Will Rogers Boulevard. This volunteer group is involved in the annual partnership drive and recruitment of volunteers and committee members.

The Claremore Main Street Board, nonprofit arm of the downtown economic development effort, will be meeting Jan. 10 in the Main Street office. On the agenda will be discussion as to the future need for and use of the parklets (seating areas) in the downtown area. Discussion will center around the benefits, potential design upgrades to the parklets and even possible removal. The agenda will be posted on the Main Street office door on Monday.