Pitman enlivens the end of the month with Fourth Friday
When Pitman resident Jill Brett moved into the neighborhood five years ago, she thought the borough’s downtown was in need of help. As the result of some improvements, for the last two years Pitman has been able to hold monthly festivals.
Pitman’s event is Fourth Friday. And similar to other municipalities’ ordinal-weekday-themed events — Second Saturday, Third Thursday — Fourth Friday means live music, art, and businesses staying open late and offering discounts. After seeing the transformation of the downtown area, Brett decided to do publicity for the event.
“Five years ago there were boarded-up shops,” Brett said. “It wasn’t down-and-out, per se, but now that the progression has come … I thought, ‘Wow, this is really turning around.’ It’s so exciting for people who live here.
“I wanted to get involved more in my community. I’ve been watching what’s going on downtown, and it started to become revitalized. And I thought, ‘This is kind of exciting!’ and I wanted to get involved and help out any way I could.”
The next Fourth Friday is Aug. 28.
Proud of her hometown, Brett said she, like other residents, would rather utilize the small shops in the borough than resort to larger shopping centers.
“We’d rather give our business right back to our community,” she said.
Lisa Morgey is on the Pitman Economic Development Committee, and owns one of the businesses on the main drag, xmarxthespot, a screen printing shop at 9 S. Broadway.
In business for almost five years, she too has seen a downtown renaissance. The streets and sidewalks were renovated, though the construction created a burden for some businesses, and some left, Morgey said.
“Four-and-a-half years ago, patronage was down and quieter,” Morgey said. “There was major construction. They redid the sidewalks and the roads, and I think if you go back five years, a lot of people thought it was a terrible burden on them, and then at that time, some stores didn’t manage to stay on through the construction. We had empty storefronts and less participation.
“Like lots of other towns, we have a small downtown, and it struggles against malls and places that are bigger, newer and fancier,” Morgey said. “And we saw [Fourth Friday] as a way to bring people to us to see what a great spot we have here. We chose Fourth Friday, because we’re not too far from Collingswood, and Millville — and we didn’t want to choose the same as a town that’s nearby.”
Collingswood holds events on the second Saturday of each month, and Millville marks each third Friday.
Morgey, a ten-year resident of Pitman, jokingly likens some storeowners to “loners,” adding that organizing the Fourth Friday event brings all of them together, which benefits all of them.
Ironically, Fourth Friday doesn’t directly help her business, as she closes up shop to help get things set up. But indirectly it creates awareness for the small businesses in the borough, including several restaurants and small retail shops that only recently moved into the area. Downtown, she said, is even gaining a bit of night life.
Independent of helping local businesses, Fourth Friday gives residents a family-friendly activity to enjoy every month, which is Brett’s favorite aspect.
“I like seeing lots of friends there, and seeing people I haven’t seen in a long time,” Brett said. “It tends to draw people from not only around Pitman but from the township and school area as well, and Glassboro.”
Pitman Fourth Friday features music played by a DJ, carriage rides and an antique car show, and it runs from May through November from 6 to 9 p.m. For more information, visit www.pitman.org; or visit Pitman Fourth Friday on Facebook.
“Five years ago there were boarded-up shops,” Brett said. “It wasn’t down-and-out, per se, but now that the progression has come … I thought, ‘Wow, this is really turning around.’ It’s so exciting for people who live here.
“I wanted to get involved more in my community. I’ve been watching what’s going on downtown, and it started to become revitalized. And I thought, ‘This is kind of exciting!’ and I wanted to get involved and help out any way I could.”
The next Fourth Friday is Aug. 28.
Proud of her hometown, Brett said she, like other residents, would rather utilize the small shops in the borough than resort to larger shopping centers.
“We’d rather give our business right back to our community,” she said.
Lisa Morgey is on the Pitman Economic Development Committee, and owns one of the businesses on the main drag, xmarxthespot, a screen printing shop at 9 S. Broadway.
In business for almost five years, she too has seen a downtown renaissance. The streets and sidewalks were renovated, though the construction created a burden for some businesses, and some left, Morgey said.
“Four-and-a-half years ago, patronage was down and quieter,” Morgey said. “There was major construction. They redid the sidewalks and the roads, and I think if you go back five years, a lot of people thought it was a terrible burden on them, and then at that time, some stores didn’t manage to stay on through the construction. We had empty storefronts and less participation.
“Like lots of other towns, we have a small downtown, and it struggles against malls and places that are bigger, newer and fancier,” Morgey said. “And we saw [Fourth Friday] as a way to bring people to us to see what a great spot we have here. We chose Fourth Friday, because we’re not too far from Collingswood, and Millville — and we didn’t want to choose the same as a town that’s nearby.”
Collingswood holds events on the second Saturday of each month, and Millville marks each third Friday.
Morgey, a ten-year resident of Pitman, jokingly likens some storeowners to “loners,” adding that organizing the Fourth Friday event brings all of them together, which benefits all of them.
Ironically, Fourth Friday doesn’t directly help her business, as she closes up shop to help get things set up. But indirectly it creates awareness for the small businesses in the borough, including several restaurants and small retail shops that only recently moved into the area. Downtown, she said, is even gaining a bit of night life.
Independent of helping local businesses, Fourth Friday gives residents a family-friendly activity to enjoy every month, which is Brett’s favorite aspect.
“I like seeing lots of friends there, and seeing people I haven’t seen in a long time,” Brett said. “It tends to draw people from not only around Pitman but from the township and school area as well, and Glassboro.”
Pitman Fourth Friday features music played by a DJ, carriage rides and an antique car show, and it runs from May through November from 6 to 9 p.m. For more information, visit www.pitman.org; or visit Pitman Fourth Friday on Facebook.
