Pictured from left at the Lakeland Art Gallery are Julie Kuhn, Jan Campbell, and Melodie Koher.

By Shari Benyousky
Guest Columnist

WARSAW — It was golden hour in downtown Warsaw on Friday evening, Sept. 12.

The air was a perfect 80 degrees, without a single cloud. BANTER was downtown for Warsaw’s Sip n Shop, a monthly event that transforms downtown into a bustling, joyful open house. The Sept. 12 edition was a masterclass in community, commerce, and fun.

The soundtrack for the evening on the east side was the strumming of Copper Kingdom Guitar, outside Finley and Company. Inside, owner Jenny Finley buzzed with excitement, attributing the store’s surging traffic directly to this event.

“The Sip N Shop Events have really caused our traffic to pick up,” said Finley. “We love the cross-promoting with other downtown businesses too.”

The success is tangible; inventory is flying off the racks.

“Basically, if you see something you like, you should buy it because it will be gone shortly.”

The buzz is building toward the upcoming downtown Fashion Weekend, Oct. 3-5, for which Finley recently prepared by attending a major market event in Dallas. A pro-tip from Jenny: the swag bags that come with a Fashion Weekend ticket are “really cute.” (Scan the QR code in the picture for ticket info).

The creative spirit was also alive and well just down the street at Moving Pictures Tattoo, where every chair was occupied with artists designing and applying ink. Alex Neff proudly showcased a new slide show of their work at the front table.

Tina Bergman at The Cove with her little red jacket for fall.

A few doors down, The Cove’s co-owner Tina Bergman highlighted a stunning new red jacket, perfectly timed for the new season. She captured the essence of the evening perfectly: “We’ve had a lot of fun new people. It’s a great way to come check out the businesses and not feel like you must buy anything. We love that everyone feels relaxed.”

That relaxed vibe was embodied by Kathy and Ed Burgauer, who I found happily perched on a bench, cups of wine and charcuterie in hand, enjoying a break and sharing their shopping finds. They were simply soaking in the vibrant street scene.

“It’s lovely, isn’t it?” Kathy smiled happily.

At Glam Boutique, owner Michelle Hansen expertly multitasked, pointing me toward a gorgeous rack of high-end Frank Lyman pieces before diving back into helping a steady stream of customers. Outside on the corner, the soundtrack shifted as guitarist Jerry Ivan Nenycz played from the southeast corner, his tunes echoing around the old courthouse square.

Down the street, the art scene was thriving at Lakeland Art Gallery, where director Melodie Koher, artist Julie Kuhn, and customer Jan Campbell were deep in conversation. Melodie unveiled exciting news: a new juried member exhibit will debut at the next Sip n Shop on Oct. 3. Main Street Warsaw director Terry Sweeney was also making the rounds, chatting with customers Pete and Cindy Barnett about the upcoming events, which he promises will showcase “approachable, small-town fashion with flair.”

Around the corner on West Market Street, laughter was the main currency at Nicodemus Card and Gaming Shop, where Ben Essick’s saxophone provided a jazzy backdrop. Owner Mike Hadley showed off a hilarious T-shirt inspired by an online review, which read: “Seller sold me a Cuban Sandwich sign. He said I bought a baseball card. Not sure what his game is, BUT I DON’T PLAY.” The shop was packed with families hunting for cards and games.

The Sip ‘N Shop journey continued through Male Fashions, where Tim Hamman was testing colognes, and customer Ben Snyder modeled a sharp hat. He agreed to sprawl fashionably across the leather settee for a picture.

The new book titles available at The Emporium.

Next, I stopped by The Emporium. There, owner Cindy Dobbins offered samples of her decadent chocolate and caramel turtles and sang the praises of her regulars from Lake City Bank: “They stop by on their lunch breaks for coffee and chocolate. They are so nice.”

She gave me a turtle, and I’m glad I don’t work across the street, or I’d never get work done. Good luck, Lake City people.

My final stop was the Brooch Boutique, where a new pair of silver earrings proved irresistible. Owner Abby Warpenburg presided over a shop filled with joy, exemplified by three happy guys: Rusty Martinez, Alex Hall, and Mitch Randall, who perfectly encapsulated the evening’s spirit, happily posing for a picture and enjoying the best of what downtown Warsaw has to offer: connection, community, and fantastic banter.

“Let’s go get some of those turtles,” Rusty waved goodbye.

Do you know of an interesting place, restaurant, nonprofit, or person that you’d like to see featured in Diners and Dives or Banter? Send Shari Benyousky of SB Communications LLC an email at [email protected].