First Thursday FAQ | Five Questions with Brian Bailey of the Fayetteville Visitor Center

Brian Bailey is one of Fayetteville’s prime ambassadors. His enthusiasm for the city is indefatigable and infectious.

So it’s a good thing he works at the Fayetteville Visitor Center on the city square. Daily, and even hourly, crowds of people arrive at the store in search of detailed directions and suggestions on the best places to visit while in town.

Brian played city-wide concierge to a family Tuesday afternoon before this photo was taken.

The family wanted to know whether a driver’s license was required to drive the go-karts at Lokomotion. Without hesitation, Brian consulted some staff members and rounded up the answer.

Yes, they can drive the go-karts, but not the full-powered ones, he told them.

Satisfied, the family left, perhaps to get dinner at Herman’s Ribhouse, another suggestion from Brian.

Brian is now leading the Fayetteville Visitors Bureau’s push to grow Fayetteville First Thursday.

The bureau took control of Fayetteville First Thursday in March. A website quickly sprouted and soon there was a call for local artists to present their work outside on the square.

The decision to hand over the grassroots effort to a public entity was controversial. Some were concerned that the focus on the arts might be lost.

But in the months since the Visitors Bureau led the event, the number of showcased artists grew to 20 or more, crowds grew substantially and corporate sponsors stepped in.

Four months into the new leadership for First Thursday, we wanted to ask Brian a few questions.

How is Fayetteville First Thursday going?

First Thursday is going great … it is fun to see an idea become successful. We have had great support from the Square community and been fortunate with great weather so far.

Pretend I’ve never been to First Thursday before. Sell me on coming to the Fayetteville square on a weekday.

You should come to FT for many reason … basically it’s another way to see a piece of Fayetteville. New art exhibits at downtown galleries (Fayetteville Underground & Matt Miller Studios), outdoor art walk with local artists (over 20 in August), live music from local musicians, and movies during summer months … all for FREE!

There is also a beer garden that supports a local charity through the summer months as well. Apart from the events of FT, the Square is such a cool, unique destination. We all know about the Farmers’ Market on the Square, but there are also about a dozen restaurants and bars and around the same number of shops and boutiques. The Square really is a destination unto itself.

Why Thursday and not Friday?

Thursday, because First Thursday has been happening for years with the art galleries on the Square. ddp gallery (before closing) had new exhibits on the first Thursday of each month for years and has since been joined by the Fayetteville Underground, Matt Miller Studios, and often Kathy P. Thompson Studios. It was only natural that we come alongside a successful event and help grow what was happening and draw a new crowd to the Fayetteville art scene.

How did the corporate sponsorships start for First Thursday? Have you received criticism?

The sponsorships started very simply by asking the Bank of Fayetteville for help through their community grant program to sustain the first month (April) and sponsors have come quickly since then. First Thursday has a great ally with Brandon Karn, owner of Jammin’ Java. One of his suppliers, New Belgium, wanted to be involved with a Fayetteville community event and this desire came up when the FT ordinance was being approved … NB sponsors the FT movie series. And the other big sponsorship to get FT going came from Adventure Subaru … they are a great friend to this community and they sponsor the live music for FT.

As you can note on our website other sponsors have come in unique ways … Walmart donated camp chairs for watching movies, media partners KNWA & Fox 24 and Clear Channel Radio (KIX 104, The Eagle 93.3, Hot Mix 101.9, Magic 107.9), FT partnered with the Walton Arts Center and Artosphere for May, and other partners who help promote the event like the Fayettechill Clothing Company, Fayetteville Flyer, and you (OU).

Where are things going with First Thursday? What will it look like in another year … five years?

First Thursday will hopefully continue to grow! First Thursday is unique in that it is a year-long program with the art galleries. So when cold weather comes and we stop doing the outside portion (art walk, live music, movie) First Thursday still happens … you should still come to the Square to enjoy some beautiful art, shop locally, and have dinner. The desire is that someday this event, in its outdoors state, will grow to include the whole Square, spur other events, and even partner with events in the future. It is such an honor to promote local artists, local businesses, local musicians and be a unique part of the Fayetteville community.

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