Goshen Gives Back Community, Charity With First Fridays Fun
Goshen Gives Back, 5-9 p.m. Friday, April 4, is a First Fridays celebration of community spirit and charitable giving. Photo by Downtown Goshen.
News Release
GOSHEN — Downtown Goshen, Inc., with its Goshen Gives Back event — 5-9 p.m. Friday, April 4 — delivers First Fridays for the whole community while, at the same time, presenting the built-in chance to show support for downtown businesses and Goshen-area nonprofit organizations.
Attendees can eat, drink, and shop at Goshen Gives Back, knowing that a percentage of First Fridays purchases at participating locations will be donated automatically to a local nonprofit charity. Select downtown merchants host activities for the young and young at heart dedicated to unity, community spirit, and giving back.
“The beauty of Goshen Gives Back is that it brings people downtown for First Fridays fun, eating, and shopping — just like our other monthly events — but it includes this built-in component of charitable giving,” said Director of First Fridays, Amanda Rose.
“Participating downtown locations will donate a percentage of their sales during the event to a partner charity” Rose says. “So just by attending and spending money at participating businesses, folks will be supporting local nonprofit organizations. This is a special event on our calendar because it purely demonstrates the sense of unity, community spirit, and giving back that prevails in Goshen and Elkhart County.”
Goshen First Fridays operate with the help of many sponsors and volunteers, and there are many opportunities for residents, business owners, and local organizations to be involved in making First Fridays happen each and every month. Anyone interested in participating in First Fridays in 2025 can learn more at downtowngoshen.org/participate/.
At Goshen Gives Back, April 4 in Downtown Goshen, community participation is on FULL display as participating locations donate a percentage of their First Fridays sales to a partner charity.
Found, 208 S. Main St., donates 10% of its First Fridays event sales to the Goshen Historical Society, and Shirley’s Gourmet Popcorn — 106 N. Main — donates 10 percent to Ryan’s Place, a nonprofit organization that provides grief support to children, teens, and families.
Fables Books, 215 S. Main, donates 10% of its sales during Goshen Gives Back to The Window — a downtown Goshen nonprofit organization that works to provide services and meet the essential needs of anyone with a limited income — and Woldruff’s Footwear & Apparel, 129 S. Main, donates 10% of its First Fridays sales to Elkhart County cancer support ministry, Ribbon of Hope.
The Green Bee, 111 E. Washington, donates 10% of its event sales to raise funds for the Goshen Farmers Market — proudly serving Elkhart County since 2000 — and Goshen Brewing Co., 315 W. Washington St., donates 10% of its sales during Goshen Gives Back to downtown’s Goshen Theater. The Goshen Theater, originally opened in 1905, is a renovated, historic 600-seat theater available to the community for productions, events, weddings, and meetings.
Find event details for April First Fridays at DowntownGoshen.org.