It’s time again for downtown Olympia’s annual Girls Night Out. If you have never participated before or are new to the area, Girls Night Out is best described as a high-energy shopping frenzy. In addition to spending time with family and friends, Girls Night Out aims to support and promote downtown Olympia businesses.
“Girls Night Out is enjoyed by women and girls of every age,” shared Olympia Downtown Association event organizer Kim Combs. “We see moms with young daughters, moms with adult daughters, aunts and cousins, pockets of ladies who work in the same office and friends who specifically plan each year to enjoy this day together. Every age is truly represented during Girls Night Out.”
For veterans of the event, the biggest and perhaps most exciting change will be the extra day that has been added to the Girls Night Out schedule. Kickoff is scheduled for Friday, May 12 at 10:00 a.m., with shopping hours extended until 9:00 p.m. and continuing into Saturday.
“Throughout the day, we’ll have the Electric Trolley assisting shoppers to all of our participating businesses, even those located a bit out of the downtown core. We’ll have a VW Photo Bus in place from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and we’ve added Hot Pink Ambassadors who will be located throughout downtown Olympia to enhance the shopping experience,” added Combs.
Throughout Girls Night Out, businesses will be holding raffles and special activities exclusive to each store. One Grand Prize raffle will be awarded following the event.
“This year, rather than a reception at the end of shopping Friday, ladies can move to the exciting new After Party being hosted at Rhythm & Rye, a very popular entertainment venue downtown,” explained Combs. “Once there you can enjoy drink specials and live entertainment proved by The True Loves.”
While some of the activities are not part of the lineup for Saturday, the parking is free and the trolley will still be running. A few stores even have breakfast treats planned, unique to the Saturday morning start.
For Combs, the most exciting part of Girls Night Out is seeing the excitement, energy and support for the downtown community. “The Olympia Downtown Association produces many events, but beyond just producing events, we are mindful of our mission here: to preserve, promote and enhance the downtown Olympia community. We feel that Girls Night Out is just one of the ways we do that and make a difference,” she said.
“This event would not be the success it is without our generous sponsors, our planning committee and our volunteers all of whom are passionate and care so much about downtown Olympia,” said Combs. “We are also so grateful to the participating businesses who put so much effort into making each day special for everyone who participates.”
Combs offers a few tips for those of you making plans to attend. “Consider pre-purchasing your $20 Girls Night Out Goodie Bag. Find seller locations at downtownolympia.com. Each Goodie Bag includes awesome swag from downtown sponsors and businesses. You will also get to take home the program/coupon book right then and there, a new opportunity this year. This will allow you to make notes and plan your shopping routes ahead of time so all you have to do on the day of the event is pick up your bag and go!”
Combs also recommends bringing personal address labels. She says this streamlines the process of entering raffles at each business.
Bring your mom, sister, daughter, aunt, cousin, grandmother, coworker, neighbor and friend to Girls Night Out on May 12 and 13, 2017 in downtown Olympia.
For more information on Girls Night Out, visit the ODA website or call Kim Combs directly at 360-357-8948. You can also visit the Girls Night Out event page on Facebook.
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