First Friday is a celebration of Downtown York, PA shops, restaurants, cultural venues and nightlife hot spots. On Friday March 7 from 5-9pm, downtown shops and restaurants host special events, offer refreshments and promotions, and sponsor live entertainment. As you are enjoying the First Friday happenings with your family, share your photos on Instagram and Facebook, @downtownyorkpa, #ffyork. Events and activities in BOLD are made possible this month thanks to grants from our First Friday sponsor, WellSpan Health.
Events happening in the Market District
- Appell Center for the Performing Arts Jazz in the City- Two Bass Special. Jazz in the City presents York’s original jazz fusion band, Extremity!
Tickets are just $10 in advance, $15 day of, and students are free with ID. Show begins at 5:30pm in The Studio. - Appell Center for the Performing Arts: First Friday Free Family Film feauturing The Neverennding Story at 6:30pm in the Capitol Theatre. Don’t miss this ’80s cult classic on the big screen once again… an unforgettable fantasy world, iconic characters like Atreyu and Falkor the Luckdragon, and a powerful theme about the power of imagination.
- Gift Horse Brewing Company: Lucid Ruby plays live at 7pm. Get ready for a high-energy indie rock performance with powerful vocals. Don’t miss out!
- Indigo Bleu: Join us in the shop from 5pm-9pm for a delicious pop-up with Fates Bread and Honey Co. They’ll be bringing a fresh selection of regular loaves, English muffins, lemon blueberry loaves, baguettes, and scones—perfect for treating yourself or stocking up for the weekend.
- Marketview Arts: Join us between 5 and 9pm for a reception celebrating a solo exhibition by Dani Klebes, resident artist and Programming Coordinator at Wassaic Project in New York. The York Review, a YCP student-run publication featuring written pieces and art in a variety of styles, will also be holding a launch party for their spring 2025 issue.
- Martin Library: Martin Library’s April First Friday (5-7pm) is all about learning how a few simple items you might throw away can be turned into something useful or beautiful. – Craft old magazine or book pages into origami art! – Transform old t-shirts into re-usable bags! – Turn old paper and seeds into wildflower seed balls! Materials provided–or bring your own old magazines or t-shirts to turn into something new. Free; no registration required.
- White Rose Bar and Grill & Schaefer Flowers have teamed up for First Fridays 2025! Stop by White Rose during First Fridays to check out their selection of beautiful fresh-cut bouquets!
- York County History Center: Join us for FREE admission during our late night museum hours from 5pm-8p at the History Center Museum!
Events happening in the Royal Square District
- Collusion: open 12 to 10pm. 🐕🦺🐾🍻This First Friday is going to be so PAWSOME!! 🐕🦺🐾🍻 Bring your pup, grab a pint, and join us this Friday, April 4 at our Downtown York Taproom to snag a sweet CTW frisbee! **We don’t have a lot of frisbees, so get here early! Because we have an amazing kitchen inside, dogs are ONLY allowed outside. And so everyone can have a great time, we ask that you please keep them on a leash** Thank you for your understanding, let’s get this paw-ty started! Humans can enjoy $20 flatbreads and flight specials all day!
- Creatives on King: Open 12pm-8pm. Join us in the gallery for The Curated Pour to learn about the new artwork in the gallery while you enjoy a free drink!
- The Glass Turtle Studio: 12pm-9pm. Every $25 purchase gets $5 off class purchase.
- HIVE artspace: Open 5pm-9pm. Join us for the opening of Mycotopia 2, a mushroom-themed group exhibit featuring over 30 artists, plus a special feature of works by Jen Simon.
- King’s Courtyard Artists’Collective: Join us April 4th from 5-9 to celebrate the beginning of First Friday and Firefly Market. One of our members makes stringed musical instruments artistically painted with mandalas, and we invite you to “Bring and Brag” your own handmade instruments to share with friends old and new! Liette Monic will offer Channeled Tarot Readings from 6-8:30pm at Special Events Pricing: 10 cards for $20.
- Noel’s Rock Shop: Open 5pm-9pm
- OMG Studios: Open 5pm-9pm
- Venture: Check out the new floral display out front, made possible by a First Friday grant sponsored by WellSpan! Stop by and visit photography by Brenda Welty and enjoy white wine, spritzers, and snacks.
Events happening in WECO District
- Skillet2Plate Soul Bistro is open from 11 AM to 10 PM. Mention Third Friday & receive 15% off your bill!
- Gather 256 is open from 8 AM to 8 PM on April First Friday. They are hosting vocal students from across York County for live performances from 6 PM to 8 PM, so please come out and support these young artists! They’re serving a special #FondueFriday menu with cheese and chocolate fondues (and stuff to dip in them, of course!), salads, including Revival Social Club’s Brussels sprout Caesar (“thank you for sharing the recipe with us!”), and complimentary beer and wine. Gather is also BYOB, family-friendly and pet-friendly. Your family can enjoy their $5 DIY pizza for kids, too!
- Debbie Toluba Artist is a studio Artist in The Queue Building at 280 W Market St. She will be open in her studio for First Friday from 5 PM to 8 PM. Check out her works in progress for the upcoming May Collage Collective show. There is art for sale at various price points starting at $5.00. Do you love small drawers filled with tiny things? Check out the contents of her vintage card catalog. It is filled with small things to be added to mixed media work. Visit Debbie in her colorful, happy place! You may even be able to add to a work in progress. Please note: Entrance to Debbie’s Studio is through the side door of the building.
- Stop by Steph Holmes Artist Studio between noon and 8 PM and receive an exclusive nature-inspired art postcard (while supplies last)! Grab your postcard and explore a studio filled with nature-inspired artwork. You can also watch Steph paint live at her easel during the evening. Located at 336 W Market St, Downtown York, PA.
Parking:
Parking is plentiful in Downtown York. There are 1,260 garage parking spaces and 350 on-street parking meters in our downtown area, and parking couldn’t be any easier for First Friday in Downtown York. On-street parking is free after 5pm and parking in one of the three downtown parking garages is free after 6:30pm. Click the links below for driving directions to the three parking garages:
Free parking is also available in the Royal Square District after 5pm at the following locations:
- Corner lot of E. Newton Ave and S. Duke Street
- E. King Street and S. Queen Street Lot (directly across from The Bond)
For more information on parking in Downtown York, click here.
For more information on First Friday and to stay up to date info on all the fun activities happening in Downtown York be sure to visit downtownyorkpa.com
