by Tanya Zwahlen
On Saturday, May 30th, Highland Planning helped support the Monroe Avenue merchants in hosting the third annual Show on Monroe. The day-long event highlights all that is unique about Monroe Avenue in the City of Rochester. This year, the event included a free lunch…
Promotions at avenue businesses.
That’s a lot of stuff, right? Well, Monroe Avenue is long. The event stretches from the Inner Loop to Culver Road. So we needed a lot of things happening to create an impact.
Reflections from this year’s Show on Monroe:
1. The weather gods seem to favor us.
2. This is a big effort, but many hands make light work.
The merchants dedicate a lot of time planning, organizing and donating goods. In our role as Street Manager for the City of Rochester, Highland Planning’s Jen Topa raises sponsorships, organizes the scavenger hunt, collects the list of business promotions each year, and facilitates the monthly planning sessions. It has taken a few years for the event to be recognized by the community, but all our work has led to increasing attendance each year. Nancy Johns-Price, from the City of Rochester Neighborhood Service Center, also deserves recognition for supporting the group, trouble shooting the week and the day of the event, and cheerleading.
3. Monroe Avenue attracts the bold, the interesting, the eclectic.
If you’ve been to Monroe, you know that the sidewalks and stores have a unique vibe, unlike any other commercial corridor in the City of Rochester. The Show on Monroe amplifies this feeling, allowing the avenue to be even more vibrant for one day. We are really proud of our role in making that happen.
