Holly Trolley Shopping for National Shop Local Day

Holly Trolley Shopping for National Shop Local Day
November 24, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

The Downtown Improvement District is pleased to offer Holly Trolley Shopping on November 24, from 11 a.m to 5 p.m. We've selected a very special day for this event and are sure it will be festive with HolidayFest traditions at their peak. Families can explore the Festival of Gingerbread, Festival of Trees, Festival of Trains, Christmas at the Old Fort and many other activities. Holly Trolley Shopping will connect it all to dozens of locally owned shops. It's also the Last Saturday of the month so there will be many ways to "experience art and discover downtown."

Joining the trend across the country for "shop local" campaigns, we chose the Saturday between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Small Business Saturday is recognized to support small businesses nationwide. The DID makes shopping local easier with the free trolley rides. Most of the businesses along the trolley route will be offering special holiday items, one-day only discounts or refreshments giving shoppers even more incentive to support our locally-owned retailers and specialty gift shops.

November 24 is a free transit day. Citilink has declared the Last Saturday of November a free fare day across the entire city, making it affordable to get downtown. Once there patrons can ride the trolley between shops from 11 to 5 p.m. The monthly Last Saturday shuttle bus will take riders around a shorter loop downtown from 4 - 11 p.m. connecting activities and lighted holiday displays. Rain or shine, getting to downtown attractions can be free and easy throughout the holiday season, Citilink will have free fare days every Saturday from Thanksgiving through December!

There will be more than 40 gift shops, galleries and attractions, a pop-up art and farmer’s market and restaurants available for Holly Trolley Shopping. With so many stops, two trolleys routes -a red line and a green line- will overlap so shoppers won't have to wait more than 15 minutes between trolleys. Shopping guides (maps) will be available on the trolleys and will be posted on our website. Simply park in a garage or lot near your favorite attraction, wait at a trolley stop sign or flag it down at intersections.

In addition to including dozens of shops selling items that are absolutely unique to Northeast Indiana, DID is promoting three pop-up markets. The DID and Arts United are pleased to coordinate a one-day “pop-up” holiday market at the Arts United Center, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. as part of Holly Trolley Shopping. The pop-up market will feature farmer's market vendors, artists and entertainment at the Arts United Center. This will be a great location in the heart of the Arts Campus downtown by the Museum of Art and Artlink, which are already popular trolley stops. Foxy Ladies Art Posse will also be in a one-day market at Artlink. The third, called HollyPop, offers boutique retail shops next to the newest downtown store, Creative Women of the World, on Wayne Street.

Another exciting new aspect of the trolley shopping experience is the inclusion of downtown's gateway district - the Wells Corridor neighborhood. Wells Corridor joined the Downtown Improvement District by sponsoring a trolley to connect their pocket of eclectic and charming shops to all the other HolidayFest fun. That route will link the Wells Corridor with several unique downtown shops, The Old Fort and Science Central. The other route will weave along the one-way streets from the Wayne and Calhoun Street area, with stops that loop south of Jefferson to connect the gift shops at the TinCaps, Embassy Theatre, Foellinger Freimann Botanical Conservatory, Lotus Gallery and the Arts United Campus.

Look for the entire list of retailers, map and activities for both Holly Trolley Shopping and HolidayFest events are online: HolidayFestDowntown.com. Last Saturday activities will also be listed at www.downtownfortwayne.com and on our an active downtown Facebook page.