Downtown Blackfoot revitalization project continues
Take a stroll in downtown Blackfoot and you may notice some unusual sights. Businesses joined together for a project to revitalize downtown. Many murals went up in the fall, and now there are mannequins in storefront windows representing different decades.
“One block would be ’70s and ’80s, another block ’50s and ’60s, another block ’30s and ’40s,” said Doni Wixom, owner of Collecting Americana. “So there will be mannequin displays dressed in clothing for that time period.”
Each block is also playing music from the decade they represent. Next will be bringing in cars.
“We have like a 1925 Model T taxi, a 1956 Cadillac, and different cars for that time period that will be parked in each block according to that time period,” Wixom said.
Wixom says he has already seen an increase in people coming downtown. A trend he hopes will continue.
“People are more excited with downtown because there’s something happening,” he said. “Because really downtown, small town USA kinda died all across America and change of any sort is a plus. And so it’s really been helping out and bringing the curiosity to people back.”
There are still a few more storefront mannequin scenes in the works. There will also soon be a brochure for a walking tour and even a walking tour app. In another effort to get people downtown, a farmer’s market will be opening in downtown Blackfoot later this month.
