LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) - The third Thursday of the month will now be bringing the party to Downtown Lima.
Downtown Lima Inc. kicked off their first Third Thursdays event this week - which aims to highlight the new features of downtown to residents. Main Street was filled with classic collector cars and motorcycles from Buckeye Cruisers along with $5 samples from downtown restaurants menus as part of the Taste of Downtown.
Behind the Rhodes State Borra Center, the Lima Farmers Market had plenty to showcase from homemade goods to fresh produce and sweet treats. The rooftop patio at Spring and Main's Vista Taco had live music as well. With summer weather here and something to do for the whole family, organizers say it's a great event to display the revival of Downtown Lima.
"We've had such a beautiful renaissance in Downtown Lima, and we have folks who maybe haven't been down here yet, and we want them to see everything we have to offer, because it's so exciting that we have all this new stuff, and we want to share it with everyone," said Cricket Rodriguez, executive director of Downtown Lima Inc. "We will have the cruise-in, but we could see a whole new lineup of cars; the farmers market will be joining us for July and August as well, but we're gonna have vendors that swap in and out. Right now, one of the things I'm most excited about is the Taste of Downtown - we have nine different eateries downtown offering a $5 sample of an item from their menu. Those will change, and then, depending on how this month goes, we have some restaurants that are also offering more than one option. You could go to a location and they could have a couple different choices for you."
The Buckeye Cruisers car organization held their cruise in on Main Street and for the co-founders, it's a great opportunity to share their passion for cars and support Downtown Lima.
"I just enjoy greeting all the car guys together, car and bike guys together, raising money for our charities like Debs Dogs and Allen County Veterans Food Pantry and helping Downtown Lima Inc.," said John Gross, co-founder of Buckeye Cruisers.
"Camaraderie with all these guys is really something - they'll help you out if you've got a problem," said Rick Horstman, co-founder of Buckeye Cruisers. "We're here, and that's what we want, because in 10 years, these cars probably won't be around, because these younger guys don't want these older cars. We're trying to keep up that kind of thing."
Third Thursdays also offer free trolley rides around downtown for easy commutes for residents. The next Third Thursday will be on July 17th from 4 to 8 pm.
