The City of Auburn recently implemented the idea of a continuous Come Home to the Corner celebration.
The original event, which took place Aug. 21, was a night honoring the reopening of Toomer’s Corner downtown after months of construction.
The opening was such a hit that the celebration will continue every Friday night before a home football game.
On these nights, the downtown area will become an entertainment district, allowing residents to walk around with alcohol and listen to live music, said the City of Auburn’s public relations intern Haley Haas.
Haas said the original event was held to get more people involved downtown, and because of the success, it was a perfect idea to keep it going.
Aside from the music, stores and restaurants keep their businesses open later, which helps them make up for the business they lost over the summer because of the construction.
Scott Dean, manager of Little Italy Pizzeria, said his restaurant was lucky enough to be right at the edge of the construction. Because of this, the work downtown did not really affect the restaurant’s business.
Dean said Come Home to the Corner has, however, helped boost his dinner rush.
Renee Hamby, manager of Wrapsody, said Come Home to the Corner has brought in a new variety of customers.
"Business has been great," Hamby said. "I do wish that they would close the streets, though, so that more families and kids would come and it would be a little safer."
Debbie Smith, owner of the Pink Room, said the construction did affect the amount of customers over the summer, but not as much as she had thought.
Smith said the events have helped make up for the slight lack of customers over the summer, but she was most excited about the new look of Toomer's Corner bringing people together.
Haas said by having businesses open later on these Friday nights, more people will be walking around downtown.
“We just want to get the Auburn Family out mingling,” Haas said.
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