Join us Friday, August 7, from 5–9 p.m. for First Friday: Farmers Fest, presented by WellSpan Health. Stroll the streets of Downtown York as local businesses, artists, restaurants, breweries, musicians, and makers come together for one of York’s favorite monthly traditions. Whether you’re shopping for locally made goods, enjoying live entertainment, grabbing dinner with friends, or discovering a new favorite small business, there’s something happening around every corner.
Events happening in the Market District
- Join us for our August N. Beaver St. Block Party hosted by Downtown Inc! Beaver St. will be closed from Philadelphia St. to Market St. and feature over 15 vendors celebrating York’s vibrant agriculture community!
- Don’t Fear the Fringe: Community T-Shirt Screen Printing Fundraiser! Get festival-ready and support York Fringe Festival with a fun evening of screen printing, good food, and great company. Bring your own T-shirt (or another fabric item you’d like to print) and we’ll add this year’s official (and awesome) York Fringe Festival design plus the Fringe logo. It’s the perfect way to give an old favorite new life while supporting the arts! 5:00–8:00 PM Splitshift, 33 W Market Street
- Discoteria DJ Dance Party at the Handsome Cab beginning at 9 p.m., 106 N George Street
- Marketview Arts will be presenting a community showcase hosted by York College students. Visit the Artists Underground between 3 and 7 p.m. to see artwork inspired by the theme “warm summer” made by members of the York community. Refreshments will be provided. “Haagiography: The Life’s Work of Fred Haag” will also be on view in Gallery Hall from noon-9 p.m. 37 W Philadelphia Street.
- Stop by Watchmaker’s Daughter this First Friday and browse all the new pieces we’ve gotten in! We’ll have a special guest, Artistry by Luz, offering complimentary henna tattoos from 6:00–7:30. Plus, with any purchase, you can enter to win a $50 gift certificate. A perfect night to treat yourself and enjoy something fun. 22 N Beaver Street
- As part of the nationwide commemoration of the United States Semiquincentennial, the York County History Center will host a special First Friday event in August from 5:00–8:00 p.m. focused on the Declaration of Independence and its lasting impact on American history. 121 N Pershing Avenue.
- August is Family Fun Month! Join us at the Appell Center this coming First Friday, August 7 for the ultimate family fun night out! The highly popular Baby Rave is BACK in The Studio at 5:00PM, and then at 6:30PM join us in the Capitol Theatre for our First Friday Free Family Film: A BUG’S LIFE! Both events are FREE ~ no tickets necessary!
- First Friday at Gift Horse Brewing Company, 117 N George Street wil feature the Alex Warner Band at 7 p.m. The Garden will be open from noon to midnight for all the First Friday Fun!
- Revolt Style Studio will be open from 10-9 p.m. on First Friday at 24 N Beaver Street with their End of Summer Sale featuring 50% off shorts, tanks and tees!
- Join the Kitsch-enette, 21 S. Beaver Street on August 7 for our usual open mic 5-9 AND vegan dogs from Nathan Gramm You do NOT wanna miss this!
AFRICAN AMERICAN FIRST FRIDAYS
- African-American First Fridays continue their seventh season with the theme “Vendors, Performances, Yard Sale & Cookout Style.” Taking place from June through October (except July) at Penn Park, 100 W. College Avenue, these monthly celebrations feature local vendors, performers, community engagement, and family-friendly fun. Events are held from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. each First Friday. Those interested in participating as a vendor or performer can contact the organizers at africanamericanfirstfridays@gmail.com or by texting 717-870-2175.
Events happening in the Royal Square District
- We will be featuring Rebbeca Ruggles artwork in our Gallery at The Glass Turtle Studio. We are open First Friday 5-9 pm., 118 E King Street.
- Join us for a First Friday opening from 6 to 9 PM! The Art Night Group Show is an exhibition of work for sale by York artists who create together. You’ll find paintings, sculpture, embroidery, and printmaking made during our group art nights at Paper Tiger Studio and inspired by our local creative community. Paper Tiger Studio is a printmaking studio and gathering place with vintage letterpress equipment, workshops, and events designed to make art accessible to everyone. Linocut printing demos are happening all night. Come meet the artists and celebrate what we’ve created together.
- It’s RELIQ’s very first First Friday in York! We’ve only been in our new home for one week, and there is still so much taking shape in our little cabinet of curiosities, but we’d love for you to stop by, take a peek (or a sniff), and see what’s coming to this natural perfumery, boutique, mini-museum, and gallery. You are invited from 4 to 8 pm to experience some of RELIQ’s fine niche fragrances, venture upstairs to the studio and see Noel’s perfume organ, and take home a silken memento from RELIQ’s very first First Friday on the Royal Square.
- Join us at Creatives on King for the opening reception of “The Shape of Color” by Andi Gingerich from 6-8pm in the Upper Room Gallery!
- HIVE artspace – 5-9pm. Cowboys! Dinosaurs! Outer-space! Oh my! A revisiting of a fun theme we did 10-years ago, “Triple Feature Redux” is one of our quirkiest exhibits of the year. Back in 2016 we took the top 3 requested themes from our artists & combined them into one show for the artists to interpret as they wished. The results are great fun & we can’t wait for you to see it! We also have Flannel For Two joining us again for a live music set from 6-7, and Wendy & Frances will have their studios open as well.
- King’s Courtyard Artists’ Collective is a “must see” every First Friday. Check out all new work by Earl Knight Jr., new “Mandala Animals” by Devon, and more! Open 5-9pm., 124 E King Street
- Molly’s Follies will be open 6:30pm-9pm. At 56 S Duke Street, York Pa.
- The Roaming Roast will have music by Zac Thomas, from 6-830. They are open on first Friday from 9 am to 9pm. Located at 116 E King street.
- New specials for August will post on August 1st.
- Venture’s August exhibit is “Between Trees and Sky”, the art of Erin Fallon. Many of the paintings combine acrylic, collage, and other mixed media. Opening is August 7, 5-9:00pm and is hosted by Erin and friends. Stop by to talk to the artist, see her new work and stay for a snack and drink.
Events happening in WECO District
- Steph Holmes Artist Studio is open 8 AM to 3 PM on the second floor of Gather 256 (256 W. Philadelphia St., York, PA). Stop in to explore a room full of original nature-inspired paintings, prints, postcards, gifts and painted paper butterfly sculptures.
- First Friday starts at Gather 256. Join us from 8am-3pm for a beat-the-crowds glimpse at the latest artwork by Nicole Osborne, featured in our Main Gallery through mid-month, along with our other regularly featured artists, including Steph Holmes Artist Studio on our second floor. Help us make the day special with Pay it Forward Friday–we’ll donate $1 per sandwich ordered to our Pay it Forward Neighborhood Fund. Double the fun and enjoy half off of anything in the Sweet Things section of our menu when you purchase any breakfast or lunch entree.
- First Friday August will be a show of original work by Adam Torres at the Queue, 280 W Market Street, from 5 to 8 pm. We will also be welcoming a new artist to the queue building, Caroline Berno, more on her later. The target building, 259 W Market will continue with the solo show of work by Bill Mummert a Sculptor of Americana.
Parking:
Parking is plentiful in Downtown York. There are 1,260 garage parking spaces and 350 on-street parking meters in our downtown area, and parking couldn’t be any easier for First Friday in Downtown York. On-street parking is free after 5pm and parking in one of the three downtown parking garages is free after 6:30pm. Click the links below for driving directions to the three parking garages:
Free parking is also available in the Royal Square District after 5pm at the following locations:
- Corner lot of E. Newton Ave and S. Duke Street
- E. King Street and S. Queen Street Lot (directly across from The Bond)
For more information on parking in Downtown York, click here.
For more information on First Friday and to stay up to date info on all the fun activities happening in Downtown York be sure to visit downtownyorkpa.com
