In some ways, the 5th Annual All About Downtown Festival on Sept. 19 surprised people. The crowds were bigger, the atmosphere more festive, and the offerings more numerous than in previous years.
Organized by the Historic Downtown Special Improvement District, the festival took advantage of the recently-opened Pedestrian Plaza between Newark and Jersey avenues and the Grove Street PATH Station plaza, and spread out to several side streets.
With more than 200 vendors, live musical performances, rides, and other attractions, the space was not quite enough to accommodate the more 20,000 people who attended. Organizers said they may be rethinking the design to provide more space next year.
“It was all very exciting.” – Candice Osborne
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Ward E Councilwoman Candice Osborne called the event “a tremendous success.” Although he represents another part of the city, Councilman Richard Boggiano gave the festival thumbs up. He frequently attends many of the community-based events like those related to the churches and mingled with the crowds for this event.
Helping small business
Along with Mayor Steven Fulop, Osborne has been trying to find creative ways to help local small businesses. Most recently, the Fulop Administration proposed a new loan program aimed at securing financing for local businesses. Many small businesses, particularly newer ones without proven track records or pre-existing credit, have difficulty securing capital from traditional lenders.
“Small businesses are a key part of our economy throughout the state and in Jersey City we’ve made it a priority for my administration to do everything we can to help these businesses grow and flourish,” said Mayor Fulop. “This fund will continue these efforts and give entrepreneurs the tools they need to succeed, create good jobs, and contribute to the city’s economy.”
The Jersey City Fund will be managed by The 504 Company, a nonprofit entity authorized by the U.S. Small Business Administration to administer loan programs, including the SBA 504 and Community Advantage loan programs. The $10 million dollar loan fund will provide SBA Community Advantage loans between $25,000 and $250,000 to small businesses and start-ups, helping local entrepreneurs and creating jobs in Jersey City.
A good day for Osborne
Osborne had a number of reasons for celebrating All About Downtown this year.
First, of all, she was instrumental in establishing the pedestrian plaza. This figured prominently in this year’s festival, providing a permanent street closure for most of the festival vendors.
She said she expected the plaza to become a boom for business, especially the food establishments with outdoor seating.
And Osborne’s current employer, ROKITT (a Jersey City-based tech firm) unveiled a new advertising app at the festival.
Osborne has long been involved with developing applications. As the founder of C&S Strategies, her company offered an array of digital political services to politicians including: voter targeting and election day management through CampaignConnect (a custom mobile and web based software), social media management, search engine optimization, and online reputation management.
“It was all very exciting,” Osborne said.
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.