Olde Towne Uncorked offering fall shopping fun on Oct. 17

By Sherry Lucas

     Order up another round of Olde Towne Uncorked in Clinton, as another fall event beckons folks to the brick streets for sipping, snacking, shopping and shoulder-rubbing with good friends and community cohorts.

     This second fall outing in a series that has become quite popular is scheduled for Thursday, October 17, with a 5:30 p.m. check-in and shopping and strolling that lasts till 8:30 p.m. Advance tickets, $20, may be purchased up until event day. Tickets are $25 the day of the event.

     “They’ve been great,” Main Street Clinton Director Tara Lytal said of Uncorked events in spring and fall. “People have really embraced it.”

     A new element added last spring, the Downtown Passport, provides incentive for shoppers to participate more fully in the after-hours event, and visit all the open businesses to get their cards stamped and, at the evening’s end, enter a drawing for money. That can keep shoppers on the move, make sure they take it all in and even introduce them to a new favorite spot or two.

     About a dozen retailers and restaurants join in for the event, with wine and an appetizer for shoppers as they make their rounds. At least one site has a non-alcoholic option, Lytal said. Discounts, sales and specials are common.

     The event draws about one hundred to one hundred fifteen people, usually women with friends on a girls’ night out, but also couples on date nights and folks from out of town.

     The after-hours enticement brings out regular customers, who often come with friends in tow, said Lovely boutique owner Sara Allen.

     “They do bring friends who come from out of town and haven’t come down here yet…so it brings new business in,” Allen said. “It’s just a real good community event.”

     Uncorked’s friendly and laidback atmosphere contributes to the fun, and good-time vibes nudge good buys all around.

     Friends will encourage their friends, “That’s cute on you” and “You should try that on,” said Allen.

     She said she and other business owners look forward to toasting another night of festive foot traffic on Clinton’s brick streets downtown.