Downtown Homewood hosts annual Sidewalk Sale

The merchants of Homewood lined the sidewalks in front of their downtown shops with merchandise discounted by up to 75 percent at their annual Sidewalk Sale, held on a warm, sunny Saturday, July 28.

Most downtown merchants were expected to take part, according to Sarah Anne Elliott of the Homewood Chamber of Commerce, the event sponsor.

The all-day sale, as usual, gave retail shops a chance to clear summer inventory before back-to-school shopping starts, Elliott said.

The sale, held in Homewood’s already bustling retail core along 18th Street South, created a Saturday destination for Birmingham residents Jessica Geter and Alex Tyler.

“I think it’s nice, especially because of the weather today,” Geter said.

Geter and Tyler said they do not shop in Homewood that often, but the sale allowed them to see a little more of the city. “We mostly come at night for O'Henry's Coffee, but it's nice coming here during the day and seeing all the shops,” Tyler said. 

Betsy Barlow of Mountain Brook was browsing the sales with her 11-year-old daughter, Sally.

“We’re just enjoying the time, walking around,” Betsy Barlow said. “It's a fun atmosphere, and lots of people are out and about.”

The Sidewalk Sale, now in its seventh year, also encourages consumers to keep their dollars in Homewood, according to Elliott.

“It's a great opportunity to shop local, and we really like that,” Geter said.

Kristina Suire, owner and manager of the Hemline Birmingham boutique, was experiencing her first Sidewalk Sale.

“It’s cool, especially at a time in the season where we’re pretty slow and everyone's on vacation. This gives people a reason to come out and enjoy restaurants and our sales,” Suire said.

“The community really comes together on events like this,” said Suire, who opened her shop in August 2017.

CORRECTION 7-30-18 245 pm--The spelling of Sarah Anne Elliott's last name was corrected. It was previously misspelled in the story.