Wed. December 5, 2007
F Street sidewalk transformed for annual Holiday Market
(Washington, DC) – Get ready to enjoy a unique outdoor shopping experience in the heart of Downtown as the Downtown DC Business Improvement District (BID) announces the opening of the 2007 Downtown Holiday Market. From Friday, December 7 – Sunday, December 23, a festive atmosphere and live musical entertainment will accompany more than 50 local exhibitors and artisans selling a diverse array of goods and high-quality gift items, such as photography, jewelry, knits, paintings, cultural crafts, seasonal beverages, prepared foods and much more. The market will be open daily from Noon to 8:00 pm on the sidewalk of F Street NW between 7th and 8th Streets, in front of the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture.
On Friday, December 7, the Grand Opening of the 2007 Downtown Holiday Market will take place on F Street NW between 7th and 8th Streets, in front of the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture at 4:00 pm. Members of the media are invited to attend. The event will include wax celebrities from Madame Tussauds and other Downtown personalities along with a drawing for a free pass to the Museum and two $100 Downtown Holiday Market shopping sprees. The day will also be filled with live music performances from DC-Based artists Bemsha Jazz Trio, A Cappella, Project Natale and The Glorious Sounds of United House of Prayer for All People.
“The 2007 Downtown Holiday Market continues to showcase Downtown’s renaissance and provides local and regional residents, workers and visitors with a vibrant holiday experience in the heart of Washington, DC,” says Richard H. Bradley, executive director of the Downtown DC BID.
All-weather large-screen monitors running continuous, looped programming with sound are a new and exciting addition to this year’s Market. Several food and beverage vendors will offer a variety of interesting savory, sweet and seasonal treats. Last year’s event drew more than 100,000 shoppers Downtown over 12 days. This year’s extended schedule of 17 days and an additional hour each day expects to bring more than 150,000 people to Downtown.
Michael Berman, executive director of Diverse Markets Management (DMM) and co-producer of the event said, ”The Downtown Holiday Market works to convey that Downtown DC is a dynamic place to be right now.”
The third annual Market produced by the BID, in partnership with DMM, promises to be a unique shopping experience unlike any other in the city. The decorative, cheerful European-style marketplace is a feast for the senses. There is something for everyone at the Market.
The Downtown Holiday Market presents a viable business opportunity for local talent. Of the 140 artisan-exhibitors rotating through the Market this year, 26% of them are DC residents. Of the musical groups that will perform on the Market stage, 44% of the performances will be by District-based musicians.
Downtown Holiday Market media partners include: WAMU, The Washington Examiner and WASH FM. For a complete exhibitor listing and entertainment schedule, pick up a copy of the Market Guide available in the Thursday, December 6, issue of The Washington Examiner or visit www.downtownholidaymarket.com.
About the Downtown DC Business Improvement District
The Downtown DC Business Improvement District (BID) is a private, non-profit organization that provides safety, hospitality, maintenance and beautification, homeless, economic development, transportation, streetscape and marketing services to Washington’s center city. Property owners agree to tax themselves to provide services to the Downtown BID area, which covers 140 blocks from Massachusetts Avenue on the north to the National Mall on the south, from Louisiana Avenue on the east to the White House on the west. For more information, visit www.downtowndc.org.
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