March 2024

Director's Message

Amanda Everitt

Spring is in the air, and with it, many exciting updates for downtowners. Please read this newsletter and share it with your staff as you see fit! If you are a SID property owner and your tenants are not members of DDL, please forward this newsletter to them so they can see this important information. News, resources, and information for upcoming events and shopping campaigns are included.

Print materials are being circulated throughout the city regarding Shop Hop, posters have been produced and distributed, and we have invested in digital media boosts for the upcoming shopping campaign. If you participate in these events, don't forget to fill out post event surveys we distribute so that we can measure the success of these efforts and build future strategies for events and campaigns to bring more people downtown. Please make sure your staff is aware of these events so that they can provide a positive customer experience if questions arise!

If you are a bar or restaurant that will need DORA cups for the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day festivities, let us know ASAP by placing your order HERE. Please remember that cases are $155 and delivery is $10. Because we have a small staff, please try and make arrangements to pick up your cups at DDL in plenty of time before the big weekend hits. Staff will not be available that weekend for cup deliveries. Please plan accordingly.  

Chocolate Walk sign ups are available, and tickets are already going FAST. Remember that this is a great time to bring new potential customers into your space and show off your wares or services! Uneasy about preparing or providing 450 goodies? Feel free to partner with other businesses that may want to have a presence but cannot due to their non-downtown location. If you would like ideas or assistance, let us know! This year we are excited to partner with United Way of Fairfield County as our second check in location. Having a second check in location spreads out the crowds and allows for a more pleasant experience for the customers and businesses. We will once again offer two "flight" times and thanks to your feedback we have overlapped the check in times to make for a shorter and more manageable evening. In total, the chocolate walk will begin at 4 and end at 7:30.

As the weather warms, we begin to plan the sprucing up of our storefronts and properties. Please remember that in the historic district, you are required to obtain a certificate of appropriateness for any exterior changes to your property. Not sure if you need a permit or certificate? Call me and I can work with the building department to see what needs to happen to make sure you have a good experience.  

We hope to see you downtown! As always, if you have any questions, feedback, or concerns, don't hesitate to reach out to me. 740-215-4488, amanda@destinationdowntownlancaster.com

Get Ready for Shop Hop!

Our SHOP HOP campaign starts this Thursday, March 7th and runs through Saturday, March 9th. We want to thank all of the businesses that are participating, and look forward to seeing all the fun happening in your spaces. We strongly encourage participating businesses to post your promotions on your social media channels and on our Facebook Event Page. Click below for our Shop Hop event checklist to use as a guide for your event participation preparation.

Please email Alex at alex@destinationdowntownlancaster.com if you have any questions or need to restock materials for this event.

Event Sign-Up Deadline: March 8th!

Be a host location for Chocolate Walk while inviting folks into your business to see what you have to offer. You will be included on the walking map with a description of your delectable chocolate offering. This year's event is on Friday, April 5th, 2024. 

Attendees will choose the time they want to participate in the event: 4pm - 6pm or 5:30pm - 7:30pm. Each attendee will check in with DDL to receive a wristband, chocolate walk bag, map, and any additional event information. Participating businesses will need to come up with and prepare 450 chocolate treats to give away; feel free to purchase or make your own chocolate (if you purchase chocolate, please shop local)! Participating businesses will also need to be open from 4pm - 8pm. If you're not sure what your chocolate item will be, please sign up now and we will follow up with you closer to the event.

Participation Fee: Free for DDL Members or $25 for Non-DDL Members 

Deadline to sign up: Friday, March 8th at NOON

*** If your business is a Champion member or above, CLICK HERE to get 2 free complimentary Chocolate Walk Tickets. ***

Downtown Clean-Up Day

Sponsorship Opportunity

SAVE THE DATE!

Downtown Cleanup Day is April 20, 2023

Imagine your company’s name and logo on over 100 t-shirts spread proudly across the downtown during our annual Downtown Cleanup Day! At Downtown Cleanup Day, business leaders, dignitaries, and volunteers will see firsthand that your company is committed to the revitalization of Downtown Lancaster. Showcase your commitment to your community by sponsoring an event that brings over 100 people together every year to roll up their sleeves and make their downtown sparkle!

Deadline to sign up for a sponsorship is Friday, March 17th.

Event Sponsor (4 Available) $1000

• Recognition as event sponsor prominently on all printed materials

• Key placement of logo on Downtown Cleanup Day T-shirts

• Name included in relevant press release materials

• Recognition on DDL’s event page with company logo and link to your website

• Recognition on social media and in DDL’s weekly email

T-Shirt Sponsor (10 Available) $500

• Logo on Downtown Cleanup Day T-shirts

• Recognition on DDL’s event page

• Recognition on social media and in DDL’s weekly email

Glove Sponsor (1 Available) $500

• Logo on Downtown Cleanup Day work gloves

• Recognition on DDL’s event page

• Recognition on social media

Coffee Sponsor (1 Available) $250

• Logo on Downtown Cleanup Day coffee vouchers

• Recognition on DDL’s event page and day of social media post

For more information regarding sponsorship opportunities, please contact:

Alex at 740-277-6607 or alex@destinationdowntownlancaster.com

Save The Date!

In partnership with Destination Downtown Lancaster and Visit Fairfield County Ohio, Gay Fad Studios invites you to join them for the first inaugural Bottoms Up - A Midcentury Barware Show! 

This will be the first event of its kind in the US that will be held throughout Downtown Lancaster.

The next phase of planning includes getting ticketed packages together and creating a schedule of all business offerings so we can start marketing them online. Please try to finalize your offering by next Friday, March 8th, with the cut off being March 15th.

Once you are ready to submit your activities, please take a few minutes to fill out the Business Sign Up Form located at the button below.

If you have any questions about the event or if you need help brainstorming promotion ideas, feel free to reach out to gayfadstudios@gmail.com or info@visitfairfieldcounty.org.

Save The Date!

Wands & Wizards Weekend in Lancaster and beyond will be held the second weekend of August, 2023.

Our next meeting will be Tuesday, March 12th at 5:30pm at O'Huids Gaelic Pub.

Anyone interested in participating in this wildly popular event is encouraged to attend.

Missed the last meeting? Email Tia at info@visitfairfieldcounty.org to receive the meeting summary.

Award Nominations

Nominations are now open for the 2024 Chamber Awards! Click the award category you would like to nominate for the nomination form.

Award Categories:

Submissions will be accepted through

Friday, March 29th at 11:59 p.m.

Nominations will only be accepted via online submissions.

Small Business Development Center Trainings

Follow SBDC on Facebook by clicking HERE!

Click the link below to explore the SBDC training events that are provided at no-cost to assist you and your business, and to register for any of the trainings listed above.

Downtown Business Meetings

Next Downtown Business Meetings

April 11th | 9am | Provisions Bakery and Deli

April 11th | 4:30pm | Double Edge

Thanks to your feedback, we are offering two different opportunities for you to participate in the Downtown Business Meetings, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Join us at 9am at Provisions Bakery and Deli or 4:30pm at Double Edge.

We hope you or someone from your business can join us on Thursday, April 11, 2024 at 9am or 4:30pm for one of our Downtown Business Meetings.

The Downtown Business Meeting is a way for DDL to bring all the businesses of the district together. The purpose of the meeting is to provide a space for you to stay connected and up-to-date on things happening downtown. We use this time to share important information and resources to all member businesses in the district. 

You should have received a calendar invitation for these quarterly meetings. If you did not receive this please email Alex at alex@destinationdowntownlancaster.com

Downtown SID Meeting

SID Board Meeting

April 9th | 3pm | 109 N Broad St, Suite 100

The Downtown Lancaster Special Improvement District Board meets quarterly, the second Monday of the month in the Chamber conference room at 4pm. These board meetings are open to all SID property owners. Please be advised that rather than the second Monday in April, due to scheduling conflicts, the next SID Board meeting will meet at 3pm on Tuesday, April 9th, 2024. Email Amanda at amanda@destinationdowntownlancaster.com with any questions or concerns.