Event Central: Rockledge Gardens celebrates summer with First Fridays
First Fridays at Rockledge Gardens, which evolved from a weekly Happy Hour event, offers a variety of activities that bring in both new and returning customers.
Co-owner Devon Klingman explains why it’s a big draw — and how other garden centers can organize summertime-centered events in their stores.
How did the First Friday event come about?
We decided to start First Fridays at Rockledge Gardens because we wanted to stay open a little later through the summer months (when it cools down in the evening) and take advantage of the longer days. We used to stay open late on Wednesdays for what we called Wine Down Wednesday, which was a happy hour with beer and wine, live music and a chance to shop for plants after work. We realized that being open for only a couple more hours every Wednesday in the summer wasn’t a long enough time period and didn’t bring in a lot of customer interest. Our events and marketing team came up with First Fridays, which only happens once a month through the summer (June to October for us in Florida) and we stay open until 9 p.m. for happy hour, live music, a workshop and trivia.
For how long have you done the event?
Summer 2024 was the first summer we hosted five First Friday events on the First Friday of each month from June to October. We plan to bring back First Fridays for summer of 2025 with the same event format and timeframe.
What has the response been like?
The response from customers has been great, and lots of people have come out for the event. First Fridays are a unique offering of activities and events that aren’t very common in our area. Everyone loved the music trivia component especially — our most popular music trivia themes were Disney music, ‘90s music and Taylor Swift music trivia. We always sold out our plant workshops each Friday, and many people loved that they could come and stay for dinner, drinks and ice cream after work on a Friday.
How do you publicize the event?
We publicize all of our events on our website and social media accounts. We offer a free RSVP for the music trivia so we have an idea of who is interested and who plans to attend. This past summer, we also advertised the events on digital billboards around town.
What else is going on during the event?
Every one of our First Friday events features local live music, three to five local vendors set up to showcase their handmade goods, a plant/succulent workshop for up to 30 people, happy hour pricing on beer and wine, and a themed music trivia game with prizes. The vegan cafe that operates out of our market, Garden Party, stays open for the event so people can order dinner. The ice cream shop that also operates out of our market, The Mad Utter Wonderland, is open for the event for ice cream and desserts.
Has holding the First Friday event brought in new customers?
First Friday has definitely brought in new customers and people who have never been to Rockledge Gardens before. We also see many of our regular garden-goers enjoying the extended hours to shop and dine and drink!
Photos by Stephanie Spoly, Cosmic Capture.
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