Downtown Alpena gears up for Sidewalk Sales
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ALPENA -- Downtown Alpena businesses are preparing for the annual Sidewalk Sales on Friday and Saturday during normal business hours.
According to Alpena Downtown Development Authority (DDA) Executive Director Anne Gentry, the sidewalk sales event is "one of our longest standing events."
She explained that the sidewalk sales have been around for decades and have historically been an event that allowed retailers to clear inventory and prepare for the upcoming retail seasons. Downtown businesses take the weekend to place marked down items on the sidewalks for customers to purchase.
After a series of closures downtown, Gentry said that this year's event is taking on a different vibe, reminding the community that the business community downtown is still thriving.
"This year especially it’s taking on a different twist because we've had some retailers close," she said. "We still have great retailers."
"We're hoping it reminds people that there are still great local retailers downtown," she added.
She encouraged community members interested in attending the event to pay attention to business hours so they don't miss the sale. She added that most businesses open at 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. both days.
This year, Gentry said that Water Street Commons is participating and there will be a new pop up shop called Tiny Chick Baby Shop. This shop will be operating out of the open vendor shed that rotates vendors and specializes in handmade children's clothing and accessories.
"Its exciting to have a new business down there at the commons," she said.
She added that "micro-businesses" that people run out of their homes are starting to show interest in pop-up opportunities downtown and the potential of running a brick-and-mortor location.
"We're feeling positive about the interest we are seeing," she added.
Overall, Gentry said that the 2026 summer has gone well for businesses despite the challenging economic landscape. Some have said this summer has been more successful than previous seasons.
"It’s still a difficult environment for retailers, for sure," she said. "Some retailers have said this summer is their best summer to date. It's just been a great year for sales."
She added that the opinion of the summer season depends on the business, though noted this has been a notable year for tourism traffic, citing increased traffic from cruise ships and events happening in the area.
Despite the turnover of businesses downtown, Gentry said that DDA is still positive in the direction that the downtown is headed, and is looking forward to upcoming events in August, such as the Maritime Festival which is happening Aug. 21 to 23. After that, the community can gear up for Witch's Night Out and trick-or-treating in October.
Kayla Wikaryasz can be reached at 989-358-5688 or kwikaryasz@TheAlpenaNews.com.