SPOKANE, Wash. – The Third Thursday Art Walk in Hillyard brought neighbors together to celebrate creativity and community. The event was organized by the Hillyard Creative District, which launched the art walk to fill Market Street with artists, music and small businesses, showcasing what the neighborhood has to offer.
Daria Pilram, Executive Director of the Hillyard Creative District, shared that the art walk was a three-month pilot for the new creative district.
“We’re really just trying to get folks out to experience the district,” Pilram said. “We have artists in every business, we have live music, and a lot of great small businesses that people should come check out.”
Artists involved in the event emphasized the importance of highlighting Hillyard’s history and its future. Amy Smith, an artist and vendor coordinator, expressed her enthusiasm.
“It is a great place. There’s a lot of history. It’s a hidden gem here in Spokane and so to be able to see what’s happening like tonight here at the Third Thursday it’s just phenomenal,” Smith said.
Many in the community hope that the creative district can revive the neighborhood and bring back the energy that once made Hillyard a hub of Spokane.
“What a lot of people don’t realize is that Hillyard was like the main hub of Spokane at one time when all the trains were here,” Smith explained. “When they diverted them away from Spokane it kind of knocked the life out of Hillyard and so it’s my dream to help bring that life back into Hillyard.”
Organizers emphasized the importance of connecting people and providing the community with a reason to come together.
“Part of our goal with Third Thursday is to elevate the creatives who are already in Hillyard but also to bring people into the district to see what’s here and the creative energy and the community and just to build that neighborhood connectivity,” Kyla Parkins, Events & Programming Director for the Hillyard Creative District, stated.
The Third Thursday Art Walk will continue year-round with different themes and events each season.
