'Third Thursdays' encouraging socializing with music, art and food

On Thursday, May 16, the McCook Creative District will host its first event since receiving the official designation in October 2023 from the state of Nebraska. “Third Thursdays” will take place in downtown McCook - the geographical location of McCook’s Creative District - from May through October, 5-8 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month, hence the name.

This first Third Thursday will celebrate the creation of the Creative District, which stretches from A to I street and West First to East First. On a closed-down section of Norris Avenue between D and E streets, there will be vendors selling snacks and artisans selling their creations. There will be games and a dance floor. And the highlight will be a performance by the Talbott Brothers, originally from Imperial and now nationally touring musicians.

While each month will feature a few different elements, Third Thursdays will include music, art, games and activities for all ages. And there will be the opportunity to do something missing these days - visiting and talking with friends, family and neighbors face-to-face.

Third Thursdays are meant to encourage visitors to downtown businesses, including the many fine restaurants and retail stores. The ultimate goal is to have the sidewalks filled with people enjoying each other's company and supporting local businesses - a win for everyone in the community.

This is not a new concept for McCook. The McCook Community Foundation Fund hosted Night on the Bricks in 2021 and prior to that in 2016, when the late Walt Sehnert used the evening to reflect on days gone by in an essay that appeared in the Gazette in 2016 and in his book, Growing Up In Plain View.

“Recently, to welcome folks who had come to McCook to attend a statewide meeting of the Nebraska Community Foundation, McCook merchants opened their doors for ‘A Night on the Bricks.’ The plan was to stage an event that would welcome these out of town visitors and at the same time show off our unique downtown.

From all reports, the event had its desired effect. Comments from visitors, who had come from across the state, were enthusiastic. Everyone had a good time. I don't know if the merchants did a lot of business or not, but, at least for this one night, that was not the main objective. The event reminded me of the 30s and 40s when Saturdays and especially Saturday nights were of great importance to people in a small town.”

In 2024, Third Thursdays are meant to return back to the time when businesses were open late on a Thursday evening or a Saturday when folks, usually farmers and their families, could make it to town for shopping and socializing.

“In the days before World War II, Saturdays were different in the small towns in the Midwest. To say they were bigger and of more importance in people's lives than Saturdays are today is an understatement. Truly they were an ‘Event’ that people looked forward to, not unlike the feeling we have on the day before Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Plainview, Nebraska, population 1,411 was what you would call a "one industry town." That industry was farming. Everything revolved around the farmer. The farmer dictated the store hours and everything else in Plainview. And why not! Without the farmers' business there was no reason for Plainview to exist. But it was a two way street. Merchants did their best to serve the farmers with goods and services, and the farmers traded ‘at home.’ “

There is another reason the evening town gatherings were important, according to Walt. To see and be seen by people of all ages.

“Saturday night was a night to see people and be seen. By sitting in one place on main street, sooner or later a person would see everyone who was in town. It was imperative to arrive early as parking space was limited. Our neighbors, recently retired from the farm, would regularly park their car in the afternoon near the theater, go home for supper, then come back at seven, to sit in their car and be on hand for people to stop to talk during the evening.

Teenage girls, freshly scrubbed in starched dresses, practiced the 30s version of cruising main street. They would walk, arm in arm, the two blocks up one side of the street, cross over, and down the other---repeatedly through the evening. Each time they met a similar group, going the other way, they would stop to chat for a moment. These groups were followed by a like number of boys, vying for attention-the girls pretending not to notice. Many wore their hair in curlers. Apparently, it was still more important to look nice for church on Sunday.”

Like all good things, the Saturday night gatherings came to an end because the world is always changing.

“The Institution that was Saturday Night was a phenomenon that was destined to end after WWII, with the advent of good roads and automobiles, which made the trek to the hub towns more practical. Business was spread out during the week. Saturday became just another day.

The crowning blow to eventful Saturday nights was television, with its good line-up of shows on Saturday night. The magic of television brought new friends into our living rooms---friends like Uncle Miltie (Berle), Sid Caesar, and Matt Dillon. To a large extent these new friends replaced the fellowship of talking to old friends and neighbors in person.”

We don’t want our community to return to the 1950s and it can’t return to that simplicity - I would like to see anyone pry a smartphone from a teenager’s hand. But we can try to create an atmosphere and an event that encourages gathering together, talking to your neighbor, and just hanging out with others from your community.

There are a lot of ways to be involved in the Third Thursdays, from becoming a vendor on Norris Avenue to eating at a downtown restaurant to strolling by Norris Alley to listen to the Talbott Brothers. Creating an atmosphere where McCook’s sidewalks are filled with friends and visitors won’t happen overnight but it can happen over a few Thursdays.