TGIF! An Inside Look Into 2nd Friday Street Festivals

Come see us at the OTC tent at 2nd Friday!

We are Kami and Maddie, your OTC Summer Interns, the girls at the OTC tent at 2nd Friday Street Festival, and the girls behind the 2nd Friday Festival Instagram account. For those of you who don’t know, every 2nd Friday of the month between May and October, local artists, musicians, and families come together at Oak Street Mill to celebrate community at 2nd Friday Street Festival. In honor of another 2nd Friday coming to a close, we thought we would share with you some of our #2ndFridayFestival memories! Between the food trucks, drinks, live music, and shopping, there is a lot to be excited about at 2nd Friday. Here are some of the highlights from our time at the July 12th Festival.


Food

2nd Friday = food trucks on food trucks on food trucks! What is better than a gourmet meal on the go? We set out to try as many of the goodies as we could at 2nd Friday (& of course we had to snap some #2ndFridayEats pics before we dug in!) This month we had food from Clean Juice, Scratch Kitchen, Taco Green Go, A Worthy Dog, Queen Bee Treats, and Snowie Shaved Ice! We tried “The Green Bowl” from Clean Juice in an attempt to be healthy, and it was delicious! To reward ourselves, we also tried a spicy chicken/mac and cheese slider from Scratch Kitchen– also, delicious! We are glad we came hungry! 


Beer & Wine

Cheers! Neither of us may be 21 yet, but here are some photos of some other, of-age, responsible adults enjoying a cold beer on a hot summer day.  At the most recent 2nd Friday, drinks were provided by Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, Eleven Lakes Brewing, and Red Clay Ciderworks — something for everyone! (Also, there was plenty of soda, tea, and even kombucha for sale inside Brick Row!)


Shopping

The shopping scene at 2nd Friday was incredible. With over twenty-five vendors, including local artisans and businesses, there was something for everyone! Kami found this black and yellow upcycled dress from Nut Meg’s Bazaar and Maddie browsed the jewelry from Once in a Blue Moon! We also stopped by Artisanal Lab and chatted with Gary (pictured above) about his handcrafted, premium leather products. All the products we tried out were very high quality and displayed our community’s creativity. 2nd Friday is the perfect place to buy a unique gift!


Activities

Our OTC crew set out to take part in all the activities 2nd Friday has to offer. We hopped in the photo booth with some fun props from Ramped Up Events, and even spun a wheel for a fun prize! Maddie won a free taco, Kami won a pair of sunglasses, and Case won a free beer.  We played a few games of cornhole, shot some hoops, and watched our friends at Imusination dance it out on the lawn!


Sweets & Treats

What better way to cool down on a summer evening than with some delicious snow cones? We had both Queen Bee Treats and Snowie’s Shaved Ice out in OTC serving up some ice cold snacks; King of Pops also brought their stand and were selling their amazing popsicles! 2nd Friday is the perfect place to treat yourself after a long, hot week to a refreshing dessert.


Music

Kick back, relax, and listen to some good tunes on a beautiful summer night!

One of the main highlights of this 2nd Friday was the Moses Jones & The Dirty Southern Soul performance while the sun was setting. While we were unable to fully catch the show, we heard so many positive reviews, and even had people sticking around after the band was done. Moses Jones’ mix of originals and energy-packed covers kept the fun going up until the end of the festival. We are so thankful to have the opportunity to experience so many amazing bands, performers, and artists in OTC! 


If you were unable to make it out to OTC for this 2nd Friday, there is another one right around the corner! Come on out to our August 9th, September 13th, and October 11th festivals — all with different shopping vendors, food trucks, and bands. We have loved working in such a vibrant and welcoming community this summer as your Old Town Cornelius and Bella Love interns. Helping with 2nd Friday has been a highlight for us both, so come stop by our tent to say hello and stick around to pick out some Cornelius merchandise!


OTC is quickly becoming a hub for a vibrant and flourishing arts scene. We tell the stories relevant to you: our residents, our visitors, our family and our friends.

By Old Town Cornelius

OTC is quickly becoming a hub for a vibrant and flourishing arts scene. We tell the stories relevant to you: our residents, our visitors, our family and our friends.