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Lowell Freedom Festival 2012

The City of Lowell and the Lowell Women's Club proudly present the 7th Annual Lowell Freedom Festival. The event will be held on May 19th at Harold Rankin Park between the hours of 10:00 am until 10:00 pm. Foods, crafts, games, rides, and live entertainment will be there for your enjoyment. The Freedom Festival will also feature a Car Show this year which will start at 10:00 am.  For more information, please call the City of Lowell at 704-824-0099.

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"Rising From the Ashes" Lowell article from the Charlotte Observer

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Gaston Gazette Conserving Our Land Oct. 21, 2010

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Lowell Merchants want to stop traffic

Lowell shopkeepers are working to make the city a destination rather than a drive-through town. About 12,000 cars pass through the city on Main Street everyday and the merchants want their business.

A merchants association was formed about nine months ago and the group has grown from six people to 15. “We are past the infancy stage,” City Manager Ben Blackburn said.

Merchants want to improve the downtown to make an impact on people traveling through encouraging them to stop.

“We have a lot to offer,” Sissy McConnell, secretary of the association said. McConnell owns Sissy’s Hair Design and said one day a woman from Scotland came in her shop. The woman was driving down I-85 and stopped in Lowell.

The group’s current efforts consist of bringing merchants together to organize seasonal festivals and the weekly Farmers Market. An October 16 Fall Festival is planned as well as the second annual Dec. 2 Light Up Lowell event.

 Planning Director Scott Attaway wants to make revitalizing the downtown landscape part of the group’s agenda. He has drawn plans to turn a parking lot into a scenic area. Attaway said the board has been talking about the city offering matching grants to property owners to help renovate building facades.

Jane Kimbro, owner of Mattie Mae’s and vice president of the association, said she has been looking at murals in other towns and would like to see that type of artwork in Lowell.

“We want people to come here to shop and visit,” Kimbro said. “When people drive through we want them to stop.”

City council decided about a year ago to resurrect the merchants association, Blackburn said. “We want a vibrant business community in an area that is business friendly. Lowell should be a destination point.”

Blackburn said that even with the listless economy there has been interest in Lowell from outside investors and businesses like the new Greg’s Family Restaurant on Main Street.

But the government and merchants in Lowell have not always been proactive, Jim Campbell of Campbell Jewelers said.

Campbell said downtown Lowell used to look like a cow pasture. Campbell has been a clock maker in Lowell almost 60 years and has had a shop downtown for nearly 50 years.

“The old town government changed things and businesses left,” Campbell said. “At one time we were going to expand our shop but we said forget it when the town board changed the parking in the town.”

Campbell said downtown is thriving because the current city administration is “sharp and smart.”

“This includes the mayor and the city council,” he said. “They are bright people.”

Blackburn attributes improvements in downtown to the attitude of the merchants.

“The merchants association is a support group with a common goal,” he said. “When you work together in that mind frame good things happen.”

In addition to McConnell and Kimbro other officers of the merchant’s association include Pam Smith owner of S&L Creations, president; Pete Aggarwel owner of Corner Groceries, treasurer, and Deanna Izurieta owner of Dee Designs, facilitator.

Luann Laubscher can be reached at 704-869-1828.

Gazette Article: Lowell Merchants want to stop traffic

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City of Lowell Gets Healthy

The City of Lowell is striving to become a healthier community in 2010 and beyond.  Please check reguraly for upcoming news and events regarding health, nutrition, and exercise.

     See the links below from the Gaston County Cooperative Extension

     - Eat Smart Move More Weigh Less

     - Create a Perfect Pantry

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Lowell Farmers Market - Every Friday - 4:00 to 8:00 PM

Download Application Here

Lowell bringing foodies together (Video)

September 06, 2010 10:03 AM Luann Laubscher   Gaston Gazette

LOWELL - A trip to the Lowell Farmers Market on a Friday evening could solve the “where to go for dinner” impasse. An array of locally grown vegetables, homemade breads and desserts await those who turn out for the market. All the ingredients needed for a family meal with a side of healthy tossed in.

“This summer my granddaughter just discovered she loves tomatoes,” Cheryl Fabino of Stanley said while bagging tomatoes. “I’ve been here four times now.” Fabino also bought green beans for Saturday dinner.

This is the first year Lowell has held the market and its creators say it is a success. The market started on June 25 with seven vendors and entertainment. Last Friday those numbers were holding steady.

“Ever since I came here I wanted to do this,” said Scott Attaway, planning director. “The City Council saw a movement in the whole county toward farmers markets. We researched it and City Council approved it.”

Attaway said the biggest hurdle was finding vendors. Farmers are usually in the fields on Fridays picking produce to take to Saturday farmers markets. Getting farmers to bring their goods to Lowell on a late Friday afternoon was a challenge, he said.

Attaway put the word out about the Lowell market by talking to vendors at other farmers markets in the region. There is a 100-mile radius cutoff for the Lowell market and only 11 vendors can be accommodated at this time.

Corinne Brandhorst, a Bessemer City baker who owns Ladybug Farms and a regular at the market, said she learned about it from a sign.

Brandhorst rises every morning at 5 a.m. to heat up the ovens and bake. Her specialty is bread but she also has pecan pie tarts, cookies and cinnamon bites for sale.

“I keep coming back,” she said. “I enjoy the customers. I get good feedback.”

Attaway said the market is also designed to help the downtown merchants. He said the market is held on Second Avenue near Main Street where almost 10,000 cars pass by daily. “We want to help the local businesses,” he said.

Lowell Mayor Judy Horne said even though the market started a little late this year she is thrilled with the outcome.

“We hope to expand it next year and add more vendors,” she said. “We are going to do some paving for more parking.”

The market ends the last Friday before Thanksgiving. Attaway said during the fall months there will be pumpkin vendors for the fall holidays.

It cost $10 a week for a tent, $5 if you are a Lowell resident selling produce. An annual fee of $25 guarantees a tent for the duration of the market season, $15 for Lowell residents.

For more information about the farmers market call 704-824-3518.

Luann Laubscher can be reached at 704-869-1828.

Gaston Gazette - Lowell Farmers Market Article and Video

Recently the City of Lowell's water supplier, Gastonia, NC adopted Stage 1 Water Restrictions. This is a Voluntary Water Conservation alert. More coming soon.