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See inside York's indie theater, play arcade games at March First Friday


Hop on down to downtown York for some pre-Easter fun this First Friday.

From 5 to 9 p.m. March 4, guests are welcome to “shop and hop” among dozens of participating locations.

The evening will include special discounts at participating stores and restaurants, live music, free beer samples, new art exhibits and other activities related to this month's “shop and hop” theme.

Here are some of the highlights.

Chocolate Bunny Challenge

Wolfgang Candy Company’s annual Chocolate Bunny Challenge is an event only chocolate-lovers will enjoy. With three weeks to go until Easter, Wolfgang is inviting contestants to compete against one another to see who can eat a chocolate bunny in the fastest time. The winner will receive $100. Spectators are welcome from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Philadelphia Street seating area of Central Market, 34 W. Philadelphia St.

New downtown openings

First Friday marks the grand opening of several downtown locations this month.

  • Small Star Art HouseStop by WeCo’s newest retail art gallery at 232 W. Market St. and get your first look at its 22-seat micro-theater screening room. The art space plans to show first-run, independent, documentary and foreign films. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 4:30 p.m. Artwork by York artists and York-pride merchandise will be for sale.
  • Creative York West: At 5:30 p.m., Creative York West, formerly CityArt, will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate its reopening after a six-month renovation at 118 W. Philadelphia St. The gallery, which currently displays Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door by Jim Mackey, will be open until 9 p.m. Be sure to also pay a visit to Creative York, which celebrated its reopening last month. The gallery at 10 N. Beaver St. will display works by Creative York’s 10 teaching artists as well as an exhibit of work by Stephanie Holmes in its new project space.
  • Timeline Arcade: While the arcade will not celebrate its grand opening until April, First Friday-goers are invited to stop by for some free games at 54 W. Market St.

Hop and Shop

As this month’s theme suggests, several downtown shops will remain open Friday night, some even offering special spring deals. Here are a few to put on your shopping list.

  • My Girlfriend’s Wardrobe: Fill a bag with clothing, shoes and accessories from a designated area of the store at 41 W. Market St. for $25.
  • Prime Art SupplyStock up on paper, art books, framing equipment, spray paint, jewelry supplies and more at 128 E. King St. during the store’s $5 and under sale.
  • Sweet Melissa’s Dream: Hop over to Sweet Melissa’s at 38 N. Beaver St. to check out some new spring arrivals.
  • Park Street Pantry: Two new varieties of French Farms mustard are in stock at 24 N. Beaver St., and on First Friday, they’re two for $10.
  • CoWork 155: Listen to live music by Kayla Kroh while shopping for I Love York City and Saint Patrick’s Day Parade t-shirts, Kable House Presents tickets and more at 155 W. Market St.

Buy a Picasso or Dalí

Art lovers won’t want to miss this unique exhibit at The Rooted Artist Collective, 101 N. Newberry St. The remaining pieces of Dr. John M. Ortiz's collection, including original prints from Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Peter Max, Henri Matisse, Al Hirschfeld, Rene Magritte and John Lennon, will be on display and for sale. The exhibit, titled “Two Bodies, One Soul,” is a tribute to the late Ortiz, who was known for his work as a psychologist, clinical hypnotist, author, musician, composer, consultant and international speaker.  Most of the pieces available at the exhibit include a pencil signature by the artist and a certificate of authenticity.

Beer samples

Tastings from The Beer Ace will be available at the following locations: