Scheduled for the day after Thanksgiving, Blue Friday is combining the savings of Black Friday with football and block party festivities.
"We wanted to do something a little special," said Jennifer Fincher, vice president of communications and marketing at the Chamber of Commerce. "That's how we came up with Blue Friday, which is a play on Black Friday.
"We know we have lots of visitors in town when the Iron Bowl comes to Auburn, and during that Thanksgiving week lots of Auburn folks will stay in town."
Merchants will offer Black Friday deals that morning, and the Nov. 25 Blue Friday festivities will begin at 2 p.m.
"There will be a DJ and children's activities," Fincher said. "We're going to do an Iron Bowl ticket giveaway, and the event will end with a pep rally."
Fincher said she hopes Blue Friday will attract Auburn students and families to the shops downtown.
"It's really to help the business community and to give visitors something to do," Fincher said. "We hope it will make everyone shop right here and stay right here and enjoy Auburn."
Fincher said he hopes the event will provide some entertainment for visitors prior to the Iron Bowl.
"I travel to every game," said Chris Kearns, Downtown Merchants Association secretary. "When you're in town visiting for the game, you don't really know where to go or what to do. This gives everyone coming in for the game a chance to come downtown and have some entertainment and some good deals."
The event will be a joint effort of the Downtown Merchant Association, the Chamber of Commerce, the Auburn-Opelika Tourism Bureau and the Athletic Department.
Kearns said the event will help local businesses, which can't afford to miss the economic opportunities provided by the Iron Bowl.
"Home football games are a big boost for businesses around town," Kearns said. "We were worried that people would stay home for Black Friday and shop in Birmingham and Atlanta. It's not a fundraiser necessarily--it's just out to help the businesses downtown."
The section of Magnolia Avenue between College and Gay streets will be closed during Blue Friday to promote pedestrian traffic.
Brown said Blue Friday is a chance to show everything Auburn has to offer.
"We want people to realize what a fun downtown we have," Brown said. "I just love the atmosphere. When we've had the block parties before, it's been one big happy family and everyone's down there having a great time. That's what we really want to bring to downtown."
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