Kiara Camacho, owner of Murderous Craze Boutique, was one of many local vendors lining 8th and 9th streets in downtown Greeley for the third annual Freezy Daze on Saturday morning.
Freezy Daze featured buy-one-get-one deals at various downtown businesses and other family fun events such as face painting and ice- and-wood-cravings.
Camacho started her business in 2022. Her booth had handmade earrings and jewelry featuring prominent horror movie characters.
“My name of the game is bringing back jewelry wearing to those who can’t wear it,” Camacho said. “So light-weight, more stability with (ear) gauges. I can do customized stuff. I can do not-so-spooky, more spooky (items). I can do it all.”
Camacho has been a vendor at Freezy Daze before and at other downtown events such as Monster Days. She said those events are small business-friendly and bring attention to the downtown area.
“They’ve helped me a lot,” she said. “They get a lot of traction. I feel like a lot of people forget about downtown.”
Bringing attention and people to downtown Greeley is what Freezy Day founder Gii Astorga wanted the event to do. He started the event with the help of Aimee and Bob Hutson, owners of Aunt Helen’s Coffee House. Astorga is the Downtown Development Authority’s business engagement and event coordinator.
“Every event that we do, we want to ask the ‘why?’ ” Astorga said. “Why are we doing this?”
Freezy Daze, Astorga said, is meant to bring foot traffic into downtown during one of its slower months, and having BOGO deals and other family fun events are ways of doing so.
A newcomer in downtown Greeley, Smokin Dave’s BBQ, had its booth set up in front of its building, 819 9th St., where staff members handed out a flier with a QR Code of its menu and a wooden coin that gives customers $5 off an order of over $25 when it opens Tuesday, Feb. 18. The building was previously used by The Centennial Public House, which closed last July.
Closers and businesses leaving the downtown area have made the news in recent months that might have people wondering what’s happening in downtown Greeley.
Last month, Luna’s Tacos and Tequila ownership announced a temporary closure of its downtown location. Last December, TightKnit Brewing Co. ownership announced that after seven years at their 813 8th St. location, they were not going to renew their lease. TightKnit now operates out of its brewing facility, 3940 Carson Ave. Unit 4, Evans.
Daniela Hernandez, the Downtown Development Authority’s marketing and event coordinator, said it’s unfortunate when businesses leave or pause operations, but the sky is not falling on downtown Greeley. Hernandez rattled off new businesses expected to open in the downtown area soon, such as Smoking Dave’s and the Colorado Climbing Collective on 8th Avenue, where the University of Northern Colorado’s Foundation Hall once stood.
Sala Thai also opened recently at 1330 8th Ave., replacing Herradura Mexican Restaurant.
Events like Freezy Daze, Hernandez said, are not only important to showcase what downtown Greeleys has but also what’s to come.
“That’s why community events are definitely important,” Hernandez said. “To try and bring the community downtown to stay aware of what businesses are new and what businesses are open.”
When it comes to the downtown’s future, the continued presence of county governmental services could be “impactful” positively or negatively, according to Hernandez and Astorga.
A recent BizWest article stated downtown developer Richmark Development LLC proposed “to co-locate new facilities to preserve downtown Greeley as an employment center for Weld County, the city of Greeley and Greeley-Evans School District 6.”
The proposal was in response to talks from Weld County about relocating government services, potentially affecting 500 employees, according to the article.
Last fall, according to the article, Weld County Commissioner Kevin Ross stated he and the other commissioners discussed space options with the city, the school district and Richmark. At that time, the commissioners asked county planners to take another look at a future justice center that would stay downtown. Those findings are expected to be presented Feb. 18.
Artist Trevor Rodgers from TGRwoodworks LLC works on a wood carving of a gorilla during the third annual Freezy Daze held in Downtown Greeley on Saturday. (Jim Rydbom/Staff Photographer)The pillar in those findings is parking in downtown Greeley, specifically a parking garage that has been discussed for years but has never moved forward.
However, the Downtown Development Authority recently voted to put in $1 million in tax improvement financing toward the garage, BizWest reported.
“We’re really hoping that proposal that the Richmarks put out there — us helping out with that — is really going to help out with keeping as much as we can down here to really help identify what the foundation of what Greeley has been and will be,” Astorga said.
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