For the first time in years, Dufresne Plaza in Lewiston is hosting a holiday celebration, inviting vendors and promoting businesses in the neighborhood.
LEWISTON, Maine — A dozen vendors and hundreds of residents visited the “Plaza Holiday” celebration in Lewiston’s Lisbon Street neighborhood on Sunday.
The mayor of Lewiston called the event a huge boost for businesses, the first in years.
“It’s the first time in a long time that we’re doing something in Lewiston … an event like this is great for our downtown, and we have a lot of vendors here today,” Mayor Carl Sheline said.
Business owners say events with hundreds of people in the city center are welcome.
“I didn’t see anything like this last year, even though I live on the street,” said Sadie Bonang, owner of Sade Fiber Studio.
Her booth was one of nearly a dozen at the holiday event.
But even neighboring businesses say they benefit from being such a big draw in downtown Lewiston.
Obscura is a café and drinks bar that opens in summer. It’s just one door away from the festivities, and they’re open on Sundays, even though they’re usually closed.
Angie LeFrance said: “The outpouring has been great, a lot of love, and it’s great to see the community come out and support all of this.”
“The biggest project right now is to bring back the vibe downtown, and it’s happening,” said Cory Dufour.
Dufour and LeFrance recalled from their childhood in Lewiston that the Dufresne Plaza used to host many large events.
“It’s important to see the window dressing … we think it’s special,” LeFrance said.
LeFrance and Dufour co-own Obscura and say they hope to host more events at Lewiston’s Dufresne Plaza in the future.