Spring Fling and the Cookie Adventure are coming

By Justin Tiemeyer - Contributing Writer

12 April 2024

On Saturday, April 19, from noon to 5 p.m., downtown Lowell is celebrating Spring Fling and the Cookie Adventure.

Originally two separate spring shopping events, the Cookie Adventure, which was introduced six years ago, and the spring iteration of the biannual Girls’ Night Out, were merged by the merchant group to open them up to friend groups and families.

Some community members have already started receiving postcards in the mail for Spring Fling, and those who have not will want to grab one from the Chamber office or another participating location, because people with postcards, signed by 15 merchants, have an opportunity to win one of four shopping bags full of goodies.

The Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce will host five vendors at its 113 Riverwalk Plaza location, including Avon by Sherry, Golden Hour Bookshop LLC, Liam’s Be Café, Litehouse Family YMCA, and Pampered Chef. A full list of both downtown and uptown Spring Fling merchants is available on the Chamber’s website, www.discoverlowell.org/spring-fling-the-cookie-adventure/.

White Family Farms Home Bakery will provide cookies for the Cookie Adventure portion of the event. Shannon Kennedy is the executive director of the Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce. “White Family Farms quickly became a popular vendor during the Lowell Area Farmers’ Market last year, often taking advance orders and selling out,” Kennedy said. “We’re excited to have them on board for this year’s Cookie Adventure.”

Additionally, interested participants can purchase one of 100 Cookie Passports available for the event at the Chamber building (walk-in hours, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and gain access to cookies from each of 10 different cookie stops, including Bella Grace Boutique, Kent District Library, Lavendar & Lace Boutique, Lowell Showboat VI with cookie sponsor Teresa Hoffman of Midwest Properties, North Star Antiques, Red Barn Mercantile, Rogers Neighborhood Realty, Rookies Sportscard Plus, This That Other LLC, and B.C. Pizza.

Proceeds from Cookie Passport purchases will benefit Lowell Friends of the Flat, a new nonprofit group and Chamber member, working to preserve and sustain the health of the Flat River through invasive species mitigation efforts. Craig Fonger is the president of Lowell Friends of the Flat. “It’s an honor for Lowell Friends of the Flat to have been chosen by the participating businesses in our first year of being an organization, worthy of their support,” Fonger said. “We look forward to helping our downtown businesses have a clean and inviting area by the Riverfront.”

The Chamber is welcoming a handful of new Chamber members during Spring Fling and the Cookie Adventure, including Pretty Little Pricks, This That Other, and Golden Hour Bookshop. “If you’ve been meaning to stop and check them out, here’s the perfect opportunity,” Kennedy said.

One thing the Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce has been celebrated for in the past is the fact that each event has a different character to it. The Chamber does not simply repeat the same cookie cutter (pardon the pun) event multiple times during the year. While the Cookie Passport certainly sets this event apart, Kennedy also underscored the fact that this is more of a family-oriented event catering to groups of people.

“It’s awesome to see families walking around downtown, enjoying cookies, and checking out stores that may be new to them,” Kennedy said. “The younger we can impress upon kids the importance of shopping local and supporting small businesses, the better we support our future community.”

The importance of spending money locally is not just an advertising pitch. According to the American Independent Business Alliance, dollars spent in a person’s local economy recirculate 2-4 times more than dollars spent outside of the community. They have affectionately called this the “local multiplier,” claiming that it generates more local wealth, charitable contributions, and jobs.

That said, store owners have commented that most of their customers are not from Lowell, which prompted Kennedy to wonder what might happen if more residents shopped locally.

“What would it look like if every Lowell area resident made a point of visiting at least one local shop a week, or month, even?” Kennedy said. “When you shop local, you are supporting your neighbor and helping create a healthy local economy.”

Kennedy admitted that the success of the 2025 event will hinge, at least partially, on the weather. “As with most events we do, we hope and pray for good weather, so people are extra motivated to get out and enjoy Spring Fling,” Kennedy said. “Many of our merchants had a tough first quarter, making April a great month to claw back at their sales, as a lead-up to gift-giving occasions like Mother’s Day and graduations.”

Spring Fling and the Cookie Adventure are made possible by the Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Lowell’s Downtown Development Authority.