Milwaukie's First Friday debut

Milwaukie jumps into the First Friday fray in May, and plans the event year-round

By Ellen Spitaleri

The Clackamas Review, May 4, 2010, Updated May 4, 2010

submitted photo / clackamas Review

The Sojourner School Marimba Band, above, will perform at Milwaukie's First Friday event.

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There is no mistaking the excitement in Kim Keehner’s voice, as she talks about the very first Art a la Carte-First Friday in Milwaukie, coming up on May 7.

“The biggest thing is the community has come together and embraced [this event] more than any other event I’ve ever seen” in Milwaukie, she said.

Keehner is one of the organizers of First Friday in Milwaukie, along with community volunteers Alicia Hamilton and Ed Zumwalt, and Carmen Meyer, owner of Cha Cha Cha on Main Street.

They divided the city into fourths, Keehner said, and each organizer called business and property owners and artisans to set up the downtown event.

“The community has embraced this event amazingly well — we have not gotten a ‘no’ answer from anybody,” Keehner said, noting that almost every vacant space in downtown Milwaukie will be filled with art or music during the event.

Fifteen artists will set up shop in the space between Ohana and Thai Rice Cookery restaurants, Keehner said, while other artisans will show their pieces in venues all up and down Main Street.

Keehner has been the owner of Enchante on Main Street for 15 years, and during that time has “seen things planned and studied and met about,” with very little happening as a result.

“I said, ‘We need to do something — get a grassroots effort going. Let’s see if we can do it,’” Keehner noted, adding that organizers began planning the event in February.

And the benefits will be many, she said.

“We are going to turn this evening into something fun and full of entertainment and art. It will be like a community living room,” with most businesses staying open that night until 8 p.m., she added.

First Friday in Milwaukie will be a family friendly event, with a treasure hunt for children featuring a surprise at the end and performances by students from Sojourner School.

Unlike other “First” events, this one in Milwaukie “is truly community based. Everyone involved has a connection to someone in our community. We went out and talked to business owners and asked if they had an artisan as a family member they would like to showcase. For us, community is key to this event,” Keehner said.

As for the future, she would like to see the event “grow slowly, with something new and exciting each month.”

Upcoming First Fridays could include a movie screening featuring a local film director, culinary arts events and entertainment put on by students from area schools.

Keehner added, “We have things up our sleeve — we have lots of things popping out of the woodwork. My hope is that this will be a real gem for the community.”