Second Saturday is the second Saturday of the month, as the name suggests. Some communities set aside this day for specific community events in order to encourage residents to get out and about and explore their surroundings. When several neighboring communities want to hold similar events, they may agree to stagger them, for example, on the first Friday, the third Sunday, and so on, so that people can attend all of them.
A gallery walk is one of the most common Second Saturday events, and it’s usually marked with signs, chalk drawings on the sidewalk, and other markers so that people can easily identify participating businesses. Neighboring art galleries may decide to hold joint art openings on this day, keeping their doors open late into the evening with receptions so that people can see the art and meet the artist. There may be live music, food, and other forms of entertainment available. Author appearances, poetry readings, and other events tied to the arts theme may be organized bookstores. Other stores may have space on their walls for art displays and may also stay open late.
This type of event usually necessitates a group of businesses located close together who are willing to collaborate. The day may be marked a large number of pedestrians mingling on the sidewalks and in the streets in dense downtown districts, and some cities even close down intersections to encourage community gathering. On Second Saturday, coffeehouses, restaurants, and other businesses may stay open late, allowing participants to go dancing, attend art workshops, and participate in other activities.
Many communities incorporate the day into tourism promotions, advertising Saturday events in brochures aimed at attracting visitors. Some savvy hotels and inns even offer arts-themed packages tied to the event, in which guests who stay for the weekend receive tickets to a theater production or concert on Friday.
Designating a specific day for arts-related events has the advantage of building momentum over time. People don’t have to keep track of specific dates for gallery openings and other arts events because they can assume they’ll happen on Second Saturday. Promotional materials never go out of style as long as the addresses and phone numbers of the businesses listed remain the same, and visitors appreciate the consistency and continuity, knowing that there will always be something to do on that particular day of the month if they come.