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This past Friday, June 20th, was
the third Friday of the month. During the summer months in Lincoln,
that means 3rd Friday on the Square. June’s 3rd Friday saw the
return of the theme Nashville Nights. In addition to the normal
things you would find at a 3rd Friday, such as food and vendors,
there were six bands/artists that were set up around the Square
playing music.
Thomas G Acoustic was set up
outside of Sorrento’s Pizzeria. He began his music right at 5:30
p.m., which was also the start of the evening. Other bands were not
set up so early, opting to wait until later in the evening. Around
7:00 p.m., several more bands were set up and ready to play. Harmony
Grits were set up outside the Alley-Bi Saloon while The Mikey Horn
Band played outside Foxhole Pub n Grub. Next Thing Smokin’ played
their music outside of the Rusty Rail and Stereo Typical entertained
the crowd outside of Spirited Republic.
The weather earlier in the day was
rainy, but that cleared up by the time 5:30 p.m. rolled around. It
was sunny and 85°F, but the heat did not deter anyone from coming.
The streets were filled the whole night with people eating, walking
around, and just having a good time.
On Pulaski Street, a car show was
set up, with well over a dozen cars of all kinds of makes and models
on display. One of the people who brought their vehicle was Kevin
Behl. Behl shared a bit about his Toyota, sharing that it had spent
the first 32 years of its life in Arizona. After that, it traded
many hands from owners in Montana, Iowa, Idaho, and Illinois. Behl
shared that he is the 9th owner of this particular vehicle. In
addition to the car show, Spirited Republic had their outdoor
seating near Stereo Typical. Both Harmony Grits and Next Thing
Smokin’ were set up on Pulaski as well.
Over on S. Kickapoo Street, there
were a whole host of tables, organizations, and food vendors set up.
Lincoln Area Music Festival had a table, as did the Juneteenth
Festival. Lincoln Rotary Club and the Abraham Lincoln National
Railsplitting Festival were here as well. The Smash Slinging Slasher
was selling burgers and fries right next to the desserts being
served by Loo’s Sugar Buzz.
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Carroll Catholic School had a
table, and so did several churches, such as Faith Church and
First United Methodist Church. The Travel Tap was serving
soda-type beverages, and MKS Meats were serving hot food from
their truck. There were many other organizations and businesses
set up on this street.
On Broadway Street, there were many
activities for kids. Areas were set up for kids to play froggy ball
and pickleball. There were also several bounce houses set up, with
long lines for each. Thomas G. Acoustic was playing his guitar right
next to Sorrento’s Pizzeria, who were selling pizza by the slice.
Pat’s Wagon was selling food right next to Straight Up Sips.
Heartland Community College and the Pregnancy Resource Center both
had tables set up next to one another. Boomer’s BBQ, We Three
Sweets, and Brew 66 each had their trailers set up selling food and
beverages.
S. McLean Street had many tables
set up with individual vendors selling all kinds of goods. Lux
Aeterna had a stand set up, as did Lynn Nicole Tee’s. Em’s Gems were
selling various types of gems and jewelry near Tice Family Art, who
were selling knitted and 3D printed items. New to 3rd Fridays was a
stand called DinoMite Comics, headed by Gabriel Whitney and his wife
Nicole Whitney. Whitney explained that he had always sold his comics
online, but decided to set up a physical stand. He shared a bit
about some of his graphic novels as well. This included “The
Beginning of Something Wonderful,” a story inspired by the first cat
the Whitney’s adopted, and “The Forgotten,” Whitney’s newest graphic
novel about a family shipwrecked on an island with dinosaurs. You
can check out Whitney’s online store
here.
The streets remained packed well after 8:00 p.m. People were still
enjoying themselves even as the sun began to set. It is easy to say
that this Nashville Nights was once again very successful. There
will be one more 3rd Fridays this season, that being on July 18th.
The theme of this final 3rd Friday will be Shark Week.
[Matt Boutcher]
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