BROOKINGS – From cake for breakfast to giant Jenga, Crazy Days 2017 will have an entirely new look, according to Krista Soroka, event manager with Downtown Brookings, Inc.
“We’re making it more interactive this year,” she said.
“We reached out to the businesses and encouraged them not only to offer a crazy sale, but to offer a crazy experience, something where families and residents can enjoy some type of activity, something that just doesn’t belong or is just a crazy thing to happen during Crazy Days,” Soroka said.
“Various businesses started to catch the wave, and now we have over 30 businesses that are ready to participate in a new and exciting event,” she said.
Crazy Days is set from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 29, and will take place throughout the downtown area with 32 businesses offering crazy deals and highjinks.
The first big change is Main Avenue will not be blocked off as it has been in the past, Soroka said.
That gives more businesses the opportunity to participate.
“We’re encouraging the community to come down for the Farmers Market that morning; it starts at 9 a.m.,” Soroka said. Farmers Market is in front of the courthouse.
Crazy Days will stretch from GoodWill of the Great Plains and Cinema 8 in the City Plaza Mall, both north of Sixth Street, to Trendz consignment shop at 225 Main Aven. with side trips to such places as Wooden Legs Brew Pub, the Children’s Museum of South Dakota and the South Dakota Agricultural Museum at the corner of 11th Street and Medary Avenue.
“The focus is really to interact with the businesses, to participate in the experience that they’re offering and then introduce (the public) to the store and the abundance of retailers we have downtown. Some people may not know all of these businesses that are down here,” Soroka said.
Not only are there good deals to be had, but a number of the businesses are raising money for charity, Soroka said.
Caleb Evenson will be at Bluestem Bicycles riding a stationary trainer for six hours to raise money for Safety Town. You could win a prize if you guess how many miles he can “travel” over those six hours.
“What we’re encouraging people to do is come cheer him on,” Soroka said.
Wooden Legs is making root beer and partnering with SDSU ice cream to offer root beer floats. The Children’s Museum will have giant lawn games.
Sixteen youngsters will be featured at Brookings Economic Development Corporation Kid-Preneur Pop-up Market at 417 Main Ave. (former Lou & Louise clothing store). Then run across the street to Jackrabbit Central and meet SDSU’s Jack and get your picture taken with him.
You can also get pictures taken with Santa as part of Christmas in July at American Family Insurance.
“We want kids to think, ‘Well, we thought we had to wait until December to get our picture with Santa,’ so they can come in July and get their picture. It’s a little crazy,” Soroka said.
Cook’s Kitchen will serve Lemon Pound Cake French Toast.
“So again, we want kids to think, ‘One day a year, we get to go downtown and actually have cake for breakfast,’” Soroka said.
The Humane Society will have cute furries to adopt at Farmers Union Agency.
The Ugly Duckling will have rubber ducky races, and The Carrot Seed will play Condiment Twister, have a bread toss and watermelon eating contest.
J.ella Boutique will have water balloon batting practice, and Wink’s is having a Hole-in-One game with water balloons (instead of bean bags).
Hitch Studio will have life-size Jenga, but you’ll be playing blindfolded.
There will be lots of discounts and deals, as well as games and crazy stuff to do.
“We really want to create favorable and memorable experiences for our residents in such a vibrant downtown community,” Soroka said.
Contact Jodelle Greiner at jgreiner@brookingsregister.com.
