NEWS

Downtown businesses join together for passport event

Spencer Remoquillo
Reporter

LANCASTER – "Be a tourist in your own downtown."

That's the tag line Destination Downtown Lancaster is using for its new, three-day initiative meant to inspire residents to get out and visit shops, restaurants and museums downtown.

Kelly Miller, a barrister at Square Seven, makes a chicken salad sandwich Wednesday in downtown Lancaster.

Program Coordinator Leslee Hanson, of Destination Downtown Lancaster, said the idea is for each customer to get a stamp in a provided passport at as many local, participating businesses as possible, starting Thursday and running until the end of Saturday.

"This is a way to get out of the house in March and see what downtown has to offer," Hanson said.

Lillia Sammler, left, and Dustin Boyer try to decide to paint a ceramic shark Wednesday at Art and Clay on Main in downtown Lancaster. Art and Clay is one of the many downtown businesses taking part in Destination Downtown Lancaster’s passport program.

There are eight restaurants, nine shops and two museums participating in the event. At its end, Hanson said customers' names will be drawn to win prizes.

Temple Montanez, general manager of Art and Clay on Main, said the studio and connected coffee shop Square Seven participate in nearly every downtown effort created by DDL. The passport initiative is no exception.

"Whatever helps us, helps our neighbor and vice versa," Montanez said, adding that downtown business has picked up with the organization of sales and promotion of the area through DDL.

Nine of the businesses participating in the event provided a gift valued at about $25, including Art and Clay on Main. The more stamps a customer has in his or her passport, the more chances that person has to win a gift card or item provided by one of the participating retailers.

Once a patron has filled the passport with as many stamps as possible, he or she returns it to any of the listed businesses. The customers' names will be entered into the drawing.

Booklets that serve as passports for Destination Downtown Lancaster’s program sit on a table Wednesday at Diamond Jim’s Pizza.

"We will draw names on Tuesday," Hanson said.

Some of the prizes include candles from A Season in Time and Tracie Lynn's Collection. Others are $25 gift cards to Diamond Jim's Pizza, the Ohio Glass Museum and Healthy Edge Nutrition, among others.

For a list of participating businesses or to print out a copy of the passport, go to DestinationDowntownLancaster.com. Passports also are available at participating stores.

sroush@lancastereaglegazette.com

740-681-4342

Twitter: @SpencerRoushLEG