Downtown Olympia’s Third Thursdays will come to a close this week
Third Thursday is going away.
Olympia Downtown Association announced last week that this Thursday’s event will be the last of the monthly gatherings aimed at bringing customers downtown on what is typically a slow night of the week. Special deals and events were offered at stores and eateries.
“The decision to discontinue the event was based on the benefit the event was providing versus the resources the event demanded,” according to an ODA email to members.
The decision was made following a survey of participants and members, according to the email.
The last Third Thursday will be Dec. 19.
Three Magnets Brewing owner Sara Reilly, who was on the organizing committee, said it never really caught on.
“We tried really hard for 18 months, but it was a hard education thing for the public to understand it,” she said. “The truth is, people come (downtown) on Friday and Saturday because they want to come on Friday and Saturday.”
Three Magnets offered special beer tastings on Third Thurdays. Still, Reilly said it was often her slowest Thursday of the month.
Sydney Hann at Hot Toddy on Capitol Way offered 20 percent off storewide for Third Thursdays. Her sales were way up, but it took a lot of promotion on her part to make sure customers knew about the event.
“People just came to expect it. Once the ball got rolling it was great, but it took a year to get there,” she said.
ODA Executive Director Todd Cutts said organizers will consider other events to host starting early next year to complement ODA’s current offerings, which include weekly summer concerts, a semiannual progressive dinner called Sip, Savor, Stroll, and Friends Night Out, a semiannual shopping event that raises money for local nonprofits.
