Summit Downtown Hosts Girls' Night Out

Downtown Summit will “See it, Shop it, Live it” this Thursday. 

Sixty-six shop doors will stay open late, welcoming townspeople and curious neighbors after closing hours from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. Discounts or special goodies are offered to all individuals, and pre-registered shoppers are entered to win a grand prize.  Throughout the night jazz musicians will entertain visitors outdoors by the Promenade.

The event is called Girls’ Night Out and it was organized by Summit Downtown Inc. in association with co-sponsor NJ Life Magazine.  Originally inspired by the popular event held in Princeton for the past three years, this event has been put together in order to keep community interest in individual businesses, and spawn an interest with shoppers from neighboring towns.

“Shoppers will be pleased that we’re open late because they work during the week and sometimes they have problems coming in on the weekends,” said Donna Puzella, owner of Sweet Nothings and co-organizer of this event.  “We’re always looking for new and exciting things to bring to the downtown to make it exciting for the community and to help the merchants.”

Around 130 shoppers have already pre-registered for this free event.  All pre-registered participants are automatically entered into a lottery to win prizes from multiple stores throughout Summit.  The prizes include anything from a free weekend at the Grand Summit Hotel to coupons for dinners at restaurants.  Stores that donated prizes include Salon 44, Bona Vita Osteria, Grand Summit Hotel, Summit Thai, and even the UPS Store.

Summit Downtown Inc. is working with the 3/50 Project to keep independent community businesses alive.  According to the Web site, the 3/50 Project is dedicated to “Saving the brick and mortar our nation is built on” by having shoppers spend $50 a month in three independent, local stores.  By doing so, 68 percent of the money spent returns to the community through taxes, payroll, and more.

“We’re trying to offer the opportunity to get people into the stores and expose them to something,” said Marin Mixon, the other co-organizer of this event and Office Administrator of Summit Downtown Inc.

NJ Life Magazine will hand out magazines and water throughout the event.  There will be a free caricaturist at NeeDell’s and restaurants will offer everything from complimentary appetizers to special meals from their Girls’ Night Out menus.

Some stores are cross-promoting each other.  For example, to win a gift basket at Sweet Nothings, shoppers have to register to win at Willow Street, and vice-versa.  Paperfolio is one of many stores that will have a jewelry trunk show, where a company brings its entire line and sets it up in the store so people can see more than what is displayed on the shelves.

“It’s a good way to get a good look at the full product line,” said Emi Havas, owner of Paperfolio.  “(This event) is a really good idea in these economic times.”

To pre-register, visit www.summitdowntown.org or call 908-277-6100.  Admission is free and this event is open to the general public.