New downtown Libertyville promotion features decorated bicycles
Many businesses in downtown Libertyville are taking a different path this year to lure visitors for the holidays.
"Bikes on MainStreet" will debut Friday at 28 businesses. The used, donated bikes have been decorated by elementary and high school students, shopkeepers, artists and others in keeping with the type of business where they are displayed.
"It's like 'Cows on Parade,' but we didn't have any money to buy anything," explained Nan Grupe, co-chairwoman of MainStreet Libertyville's design committee. She got the idea last summer after seeing a decorated bicycle in Geneva.
"We really didn't have any idea if the merchants would be into this or not," she said.
They were, as more than two dozen will participate. Some of the decorated bikes will be inside the shops, but mostly they will live outside - and taken inside at night - through the holiday shopping season.
Designs will range from simple to elaborate, according to Grupe.
"I know we could have gotten a lot more businesses to participate, but it was a matter of finding enough people to work on these bikes," she said.
The debut coincides with the village's annual tree lighting ceremony at 6:30 p.m. Friday in Cook Park, and the "shop local" theme Saturday that since 2010 has been observed by small businesses across the country as an organized response to Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
"Bikes on MainStreet" is a novel way to attract customers, as what is known as the Passport Tour gets underway, said Pam Hume, executive director of MainStreet Libertyville, a downtown revitalization organization. Downtown businesses will offer extended hours for shopping and dining.
"There are merchants that have some really good sales and really good responses," she said. "You can't experience this on Amazon."
More than two dozen businesses also are participating in the passport promotion in which customers can win merchandise or services of $50 or more.
One is The Runner's Edge, which has been in town 15 years and helped spearhead the day after Black Friday shopping event.
November typically is slow with about $800 per day in sales, said Nicole Nesbitt, marketing manager. Sales on the Saturday after Thanksgiving last year amounted to about $5,000, she said.
"It's definitely been successful and a lot of repeat business from it," she said.
The bikes will remain on display through Christmas and be brought out of storage in March as part of Fine Arts Month in Libertyville.