By: Deborah Johnson Wood
The 18th annual Neighborhood Business Awards sponsored by the Neighborhood Business Alliance and Neighborhood Ventures, honor Grand Rapids neighborhood business owners for signage, window displays, renovations, building maintenance, and other efforts that keep the city thriving.
This week, in the last of our series on the awards, we highlight the nominees for Best Promotional Event and Best Window Display.
One of the events nominated for Best Promotional Event was the Creston Car Show, sponsored by the Creston Business Association. On September 15, the third annual car show drew 142 Model A Fords, Lamborghinis, Austin-Healey's, monster trucks, and other autos to compete in a burnout contest and an angled ramp competition in the Creston business district.
"We had a punch card listing area businesses," says Steve Sawicki from Star Collision, one of the show's organizers. "Participants and spectators took the cards to the businesses to get them punched, then they were entered in a drawing for gift certificates from the businesses."
At least one local business logged its busiest day ever, according to Sawicki. So the punch card certainly brought the district's numerous restaurants and bars to the attention of event participants and attendees.
Nominees for Best Promotional Event are:
- Creston Car show, Creston Business Association
- GVSU Student Busing Program, The Rapid
- Eat Local Challenge, Local First
- Southtown Banners and Bike Racks, Southtown Cool Cities Committee
- Uptown Trolley Days, Uptown Planning Committee
- Humane Society Buds and Buddies, Violet Northeast Flower shop
Eastown Antiques was nominated for an award for the third year in its three-year history. In past years, the store was nominated for Best New Business and Best Exterior Renovation. This year, they're up for Best Window Display.
The store has 40 different dealers who sell their wares at 1515 Wealthy SE, but only two of those dealers, Pam Breidenfield and Lynn Shauven, rent the windows. And they do their own displays—Pam features painted furniture and shabby chic décor; Lynn has chandeliers and modern furniture.
"They both have experience with displays of antiques because of having their booths around town before being here," says storeowner Mike Dykhouse. "We have a ton of people who call us on their cell phones as they drive by and want to know how much something is. That's a real nice thing to have. We get a lot of traffic based on what's in the windows."
Nominees for Best Window Display are:
- Resale with Attitude, 954 East Fulton
- Amy's Fashions and Joe's Western Wear, 1973 S. Division
- Eastown Antiques, 1515 Wealthy SE
- Lamb, 949 Cherry
- Mena Imports, 966 Cherry
Winners will be honored on November 8 at a gala event at the Wealthy Theatre from 5 PM to 8 PM. The gala is free and open to the public.
Don't forget to vote for your favorites online before November 5.
Source: Rebekka Kwast, Neighborhood Ventures; Steve Sawicki, Star Collision; Mike Dykhouse, Eastown Antiques
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Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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