Pop-Up Clothes Swap set for Sunday in Downtown Alton
People wanting to get rid of gently used clothing and accessories are invited to get in on the trendy move to swap items.
Alton Main Street is sponsoring a “Pop-Up Clothes Swap” on Sunday, Aug. 5, from noon until 5 p.m. in the ballroom at Mineral Springs Mall, 301 East Broadway. Participants can trade for as many new items as they want.
The event is open to the public, with admission of $5 if people bring clothes to swap or canned goods to donate. The entrance fee is $10 to attend empty-handed. Leftover clothing will be donated to local charities. Attendees may also bring fabric in any condition (such as worn-out clothing, shabby pillows and blankets, etc.) that will be recycled with Remains Inc.
A needs assessment recently conducted by Alton Main Street revealed that additional clothing stores and resale shops are highly sought after by many community members. “Pop-up shops” are creative temporary retail and restaurant establishments held in underutilized commercial spaces that provide a tangible way to test the market. Successful pop-up events can provide confidence to entrepreneurs that their idea for a new business will be supported by the public. A series of pop-up shopping concepts are in the works with a variety of themes based on what was learned through the survey.
“An additional benefit of the clothing swap is that it’s sure to increase foot traffic for the rest of the Broadway businesses,” said Sara McGibany, executive director of Alton Main Street, “Hopefully attendees will score some great freebies at the event and turn around spend the hard-earned dollars they saved at other shops and restaurants while they’re in the district.” Alton Main Street’s ultimate economic development goal is to reduce instances of Alton residents leaving town to make purchases or find experiences, which drains Alton’s sales tax base.
For more details on this event, contact coordinator Laura Blair at blairlairstudios@gmail.com.
PHOTO: A scene from last year’s clothes swap. Photo by Andrew Dobson.
