“Food is a great way to learn about Goshen,” she says when I ask about the local food and restaurant culture that has grown up in the city in recent years. It’s a great place to find locally owned, independent eateries that emphasize local foods and include a wide range of choices.
The River Bend Film Festival, which drew several thousand participants, came to Goshen for the first time this spring with support from Eyedart Creative Studio.
Eyedart began as a downtown art gallery and web design business, intended as a gathering place for people interested in building community around the arts. Today it is a communications firm specializing in community-development projects, public relations, advertising and event planning with the philosophy of “marketing for good.” Among its many projects, Eyedart manages “Downtown Goshen, Inc.,” a not-for-profit corporation to promote the city of Goshen; coordinates fundraising for the restoration of the Goshen Theater; and is involved with such long-term projects as the redevelopment of the Hawks Building.
In 2006, the same year that Eyedart opened, Gina teamed up with Eric Kanagy to begin Downtown Goshen, Inc., and First Fridays in Goshen. Now a well-established event, it seemed like a creative risk when they held the first event in June 2007, wondering if anyone would attend. When more than a thousand people showed up, Gina and Eric knew that the timing was right. During the economic downturn of 2008, First Fridays thrived, providing opportunities for people of diverse neighborhoods and age groups to mingle, supporting local businesses, and helping to create local networks at a time when people were looking closer to home for entertainment.
First Fridays has helped provide a sense of civic pride and identity for Goshen, transforming it into a destination as well as a beloved hometown, showcasing local musicians, high school theater and choir events and Goshen College’s Lavender Jazz ensemble, as well as hosting ice sculpture events, bicycle races, car shows and food tastings. One weekend a year, downtown Goshen transforms a block of city street into a beach volleyball tournament. The city trucks in more than 600 tons of sand for the event. (After the tournament, the sand is removed and recycled for snow/ice removal.) In addition to the competitive volleyball tournament, the annual
August SandBlast festival includes live music, downtown shopping and free sand activities
for kids.
As I spoke with Gina, I was amazed to discover not only that she loved many of the same things about Goshen that I do—great community, amazing local restaurants, the vibrant creative culture, the blending of old and new—but that she had actively nurtured many of them into being. Gina Leichty is truly one of Goshen’s treasures.
Downtown Goshen, Inc:
cityonthego.org
Good of Goshen:
goodofgoshen.com
Goshen First Fridays:
facebook.com/gofridays,
cityonthego.org
Eyedart Creative Studio:
eyedart.com
