Businesses staying up late in Downtown Merced

For folks in Merced who haven't been downtown for a while, the experience can be a shock.

People are walking, talking, meeting and shopping on Main Street, and many stores are open into the late night hours.

Alex Lu-Pon, the owner of Forte Frozen Yogurt, has watched a change come over downtown since he opened.

"We've been open for a year and two months, and downtown has changed drastically in that time," Lu-Pon said.

For one thing, the little frozen yogurt shop Lu-Pon owns sees at least 50 percent of its business after dinner hours. Staying open until 11 p.m. has been a good decision, Lu-Pon said.

"There's still light outside after dinner hours, and people want something to do," Lu-Pon said.

Because the downtown area is no longer a destination shopping center, businesses have worked hard to bring people down for other reasons than just shopping.

Tom Price, editor and publisher of The D Magazine, a monthly magazine about downtown Merced, said many businesses have sponsored events for people to do in the evenings.

"I saw the growth coming, and it's getting bigger and bigger every month," Price said.

Entertainment is a big part of drawing people to the downtown area. Price said places like Forte hold open microphone nights, and J&R Tacos hosts live entertainment.

"There was recently a concert with five live bands and downtown was packed," Price said.

One of the ways downtown businesses, most of them small nonfranchised ones, have worked to bring people to the area is to band together.

"We all talk to each other and try to do events sponsored by more than one business," Price said.

A recent example was an event centered around the movie "The Last Airbender." Lu-Pon said the theater playing the movie was rented for the event, Playhouse Merced decorated, Red Sky Comics was a co-sponsor, and a dinner was held after the movie.

"We had 100 people at the event," Lu-Pon said. "We had a bunch of businesses that came together and created a Los Angeles-type event."

Downtown is also the site of Summerfest every Thursday night. Price said the event is open from 6 to 9 p.m. every week, and 1,200 to 1,500 people show up for the festivities. Vendors, including downtown businesses, sell everything from vegetables to art, there's live music and dance groups.

Three nights a week, a group gathers at 11:55 p.m. and takes a walk around downtown. Price said more and more people are coming to do the walk.

Price said on a recent Tuesday night, The Partisan was holding a quiz show, the line at J&R Tacos was out the door and the Coffee Block had people sitting outside enjoying the evening.

"When I can stand on Main Street and see something that makes it pretty clear something special is happening in downtown Merced," Price said.

Reporter Carol Reiter can be reached at (209) 385-2486 or creiter@mercedsun-star.com.