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First Friday a real first this month
Jan 05, 2013 (The Times-Tribune - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
While January's First Friday in Scranton may have been small compared to other months, it was still the largest First Friday that January has ever seen.
But then again, there has never been a First Friday in January before.
"When it was first started, it was kind of small -- there was conflict with First Night," said Jeff Boris, executive director of First Friday Scranton. "But since First Friday has grown over the past couple of years, there really shouldn't be any conflict."
Though First Friday has never had an event in January since it began around 1996, people still visit shops and galleries in downtown Scranton on the first Friday in January. The interest sent a clear message to the organizing group -- the monthly ritual was ready to stand alone.
"That was where the discussion began," Mr. Boris said. "The galleries wondered why there wasn't one in January. People still went to First Friday even though it didn't happen."
Speaking on the phone before the night began, JoAnn Marianelli Finnerty, owner of Bella Faccias, 516 Lackawanna Ave., was a little worried about how the night was going to go. Though her business has regular First Friday customers, the cold weather and ice could have been factors in the night's crowd.
While the night did prove to be quiet, there still were more people than she expected.
"And it's not like people are going next door and going home," Ms. Finnerty said. "They are walking the city."
At the Afa Gallery, Scranton resident George Mehalchick, 62, reflected that while he is relatively new to First Friday in downtown Scranton, he can see the appeal.
"It is great for the city," Mr. Mehalchick said. "It's wonderful there is downtown activity."
Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com, @jkohutTT on Twitter
___ (c)2013 The Times-Tribune (Scranton, Pa.) Visit The Times-Tribune
(Scranton, Pa.) at thetimes-tribune.com Distributed by MCT Information Services
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