Tallahassee’s Railroad Square hosted its monthly “First Friday” art festival following the area’s long recovery from catastrophic tornadoes in May.
Tallahassee’s First Friday event at Railroad Square Art District has long been a hub for creativity, community, and culture since 2012. Starting as an initiative through the Council on Culture and Arts (COCA), it has now become a monthly event for Tallahassee locals and visitors alike to gather to enjoy music, local art, food vendors, and eclectic shops.
On Friday, May 10, Tallahassee was struck by catastrophic tornadoes that left a trail of devastation and tragedy in its wake. The storm, which hit with little warning, caused extensive damage across Leon and Gadsden counties.
Following the destruction of the natural disaster, First Friday returned on June 7, with businesses still recovering from the damages. Grace Lamerson, an employee for The Other Side Vintage, told WTXL in June that the strength of the artist is what held Railroad Square together during its recovery.
“The resilience of artists and the way that artists can really come back from anything, even tornadoes, [shows that] artists will find a way to persevere to get through it,” Lamerson said. “I feel like that’s really what Railroad Square is about.”
The road to recovery after the May tornadoes has come with its fair share of challenges, especially for entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneur and founder of Sweet Boozy Cakes, Artesa Anderson, speaks about how the tornadoes had a negative impact on her business.
“The power was out, and all of my cakes were molded over, my eggs, my butter, [and] all of that stuff because it was so hot. So, all of my inventory had to be thrown out,” said Anderson.
With support from the community, Anderson was able to recover from the loss of her inventory through fundraising.
Some stores decided to collaborate and help each other recover from the damages by offering parts of their stores to keep both businesses up and running.
President and CEO of 621 Gallery, Joshua Johnson, also housed other vendors and businesses that use First Friday to advertise.
“Whether it be tornadoes, dinosaurs, earthquakes, or hell cracking open, we’ll be here, and we’ll be a community,” said Johnson.
Railroad Square’s revitalization extends beyond just physical repairs. As Tallahassee’s art community continues to recover and evolve, First Friday at Railroad Square stands as a symbol of unity and resilience.
As the community continues to uplift each other, the next First Friday will be held on October 4 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Asia Moore and Cynthia Frage contributed to this article