First Friday Is on Pause—and This One Feels Personal

Before I knew First Friday as a visitor, I knew it from behind a corn-roasting trailer.

Not long after I moved to Las Vegas, around 2014–2015, I got to know my neighbor across the street. He had a big corn-roasting trailer and sold food at First Friday. He needed help, so I joined him.

For about a year, I spent those First Fridays helping him sell corn. It was fun. I got to know other food vendors and experienced a side of Las Vegas that was still new to me.

That is why the news about First Friday being put on pause feels personal.

Why First Friday Is on Pause

According to KTNV’s reporting, organizers paused the monthly downtown event following the October 2 shooting near Main Street and Charleston Boulevard that killed a 15-year-old and injured two others.

A young person lost their life. Before talking about what happens to an event, I want to acknowledge the family and everyone affected by that tragedy.

The First Friday Foundation says it will work with the city, law enforcement and other partners to rethink the event. KTNV reports that the pause will last at least through the end of the year. No return date has been announced.

My Concern About What Comes Next

I worry that First Friday may not come back the way we remember it.

That is my personal concern, not an announcement from organizers. They have described a pause, and I hope they find a path forward.

Restarting a community event can be harder than stopping one. How do you make people feel comfortable returning? How do you create a workable plan for the people producing it and the vendors participating in it? And how do you make changes while keeping the character that made people want to go?

I do not have those answers. But I think they deserve time and thoughtful discussion.

What I Remember From the Corn Trailer

When I think back to those evenings, I think about my neighbor and the other vendors I got to know.

There is a different connection to an event when you spend the evening working it. You become acquainted with the people showing up alongside you, each with something to sell, make or share.

As someone relatively new to Las Vegas, I enjoyed becoming part of that for a little while. Those evenings are part of my own story of getting to know this city.

I imagine many people have their own version of that connection—a piece of art they bought, a vendor they always visited, or someone they met there.

Hoping for Something Bigger and Better

I would love to see First Friday return bigger and better. To me, “better” would mean an event where people feel comfortable gathering and where local artists and vendors can continue to participate.

Whether that means a different format or a fresh approach is for organizers and the community to work through. I hope whatever comes next preserves room for the people who gave the event its personality.

In the meantime, we can keep supporting local artists, visiting galleries and buying from small businesses. We can do that while the monthly event is on hold.

I hope this is a turning point for First Friday, with another chapter still ahead.

Did you ever go to First Friday? I would love to hear what you remember about it.

— Walt Ford