Walk The Town Friday Debuts Tonight

The Summit Think Local First Campaign is hosting its first "Walk the Town" Friday tonight from 5 to 8 p.m.

“Walk the Town” will feature entertainment for adults and children, encouraging residents to spend their Friday evening eating and shopping in town.  Live music and activities begin at 5 p.m. at the Promenade on Springfield Avenue.  Special shopping deals will be featured only during the "Walk the Town Friday" festivities from participating shops.  See the City of Summit website for more details.  

“This program is designed to not only help our environment, but it accomplishes an equally important goal which is to emphasize the value and importance of supporting Summit’s local economy and keeping it strong," Mayor Jordan Glatt said in a press release. "The tremendous support the “Think Local First” program has received thus far from our community leaders is indicative of the type of community Summit is.  Summit has long enjoyed and been fortunate to benefit from active and unified community participation and support amongst all of our citizens.”

The primary message of the campaign has been to “Think Local First” with the tagline “To help keep Summit’s local economy strong.”  In all communications, the message “Think Local First” has been reinforced and the program emphasizes the depth and range of all the goods, services, restaurants and specialty shops that Summit offers.  To allow for effective and efficient marketing of the “Think Local First” program, materials and services, such as Facebook tutorials and gift tags, have been made available to businesses at no cost to them.

"Local businesses are integral to growing a socially, environmentally and economically sustainable City of Summit," said Amy Cairns Harrison, Chair of the City of Summit Environmental Commission, in the press release. "A vibrant downtown raises our standing among other NJ communities, helps maintain our property values, and encourages a lower overall community carbon footprint if people shop local rather than drive distances for their purchases.  While it may not be entirely possible to buy everything you need from locally owned businesses, if everyone purchased one or two more items locally when they shopped, the effects would be tremendously beneficial."

Local business owner, Emi Havas of , said he enthusiastically supports the “Think Local First” program.

“I love that this program has created a buzz and a dialogue between merchants and residents and I am excited that this is drawing attention to the downtown," he said. "They helped me set up a Facebook page and it has been a terrific way to connect with my customers and highlight the latest products and events in the store.  Also, the buttons have been a great conversation starter with the customers about what the program is about.  Paperfolio is pleased to be a part of a campaign that strengthens the Summit community overall and helps the environment."