DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Downtown Daytona Nights, an old event aimed at bringing more people to Downtown Daytona Beach, is back after a two-year hiatus.
- Downtown Daytona Nights returns after 2-year hiatus
- Event designed to draw more people to downtown Daytona Beach
- Organizers plan to hold the event 9 more times next year
At Sweet Marlays' Coffee on Beach Street, owner Tammy Kozinski was hard at work Friday afternoon, getting prepared for an influx of customers from the block party.
“Anytime we have closed events like this we are always busy. My girls are busy in the kitchen making sure that we have plenty of sweet treats to go along with all the delicious drinks,” Kozinski said.
Over the last 10 years, she said business has been a roller coaster, but she is hopeful events like Downtown Daytona Nights will change that.
“Things had crashed, we all knew about that, things then started building back up and then we got hit with Irma and things took a huge tumble again and things are really coming back, there are some great things happening downtown,” Kozinski said.
The block party features dozens of classic cars, food trucks and live music. Event organizers claim it was a big hit the last time they had it, right after Hurricane Irma destroyed much of downtown.
“And I’ve been asked every single day ever since then, once a day somebody asks me when are you going to do that again so we are going to do it again starting tonight,” said Al Smith, an event organizer.
He hopes this party will remind people all that Downtown Daytona and its merchants have to offer.
“My belief is you’ve got to give people a reason why to come down here. Just being here statically with stores isn’t enough. You’ve got to create events and activities and give people a reason to come down and we feel like tonight is a great reason to come down,” Smith said.
With so many changes on the horizon, he only sees things going up from here on out.
“It's a great way to show off our beautiful downtown as we get ready for the new renaissance we are going to have with changing the streetscape and the Brown and Brown building and the new park this is the beginning of something very exciting and new in Downtown Daytona Beach,” Smith said.
According to Smith, now with the support of Brown and Brown and the Downtown Development authority— they’ve already committed to hold this event nine more times next year, and actually hope to hold it once a month to keep bringing people down to Beach street.