Audubon Court Hosting First Sidewalk Sale Friday

It's still a tough economy and that means it's even more important to shop local, small business owner, Ann Dueser, said. Her shop, , sits at the East end of and will be one of the many businesses participating in the shopping center's first sidewalk sale Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

"We don't have a retail association here, we don't have a Chamber, we don't really have any of that," Deuser said. "So, we thought as merchants, we could all work together and the first event we thought we'd try would be a sidewalk sale."

Art Trooper will have discounted art activities for kids and Deuser said parents are welcome to drop off their "well-behaved" kids. 

Dueser said the goal is to get people to support their local, independent merchants; "The merchants that add charm to your community."

She mentioned though that parking can get congested at Audubon Court, so shoppers visiting Friday are encouraged, if you're local, to walk or ride a bike.

"My hope is like the old fashioned sidewalk sales, that people will start at one end of the store and go visit everybody. There's a reason and an excuse now," she said. "You'll find out that we have this really cool Pack & Ship place over here. You don't always have to go to Whitefish Bay or Mequon. You'll find out that represents hundreds of local artists if you need a gift. That's what we're really hoping for."

A variety of value from your local businesses

The new Vietnamese restaurant that will be offering free samples of a handful of different dishes including egg rolls, shrimp spring rolls, papaya salad with shrimp, Vietnamese beef noodles and soup. 

The "packaging and shipping specialists," as owner Rodney Hill said they were called in the past, plans to have a table outside to show off products like magnets, mailboxes, gift boxes and more.

This local travel agency is always offering all kinds of different deals, but specifically for the sidewalk sale, they're sharing $100 off any FunJet vacations, $1,000 off Avalon River Cruises and giving out coupons for free passport photos. 

Men's and women's clothing is their specialty and they're sharing 60 percent off store-wide on Friday. 

This designer glasses and sunglasses boutique will feature sunglasses for men, women, and kids. Owner Lupe Aguilar said it's important to remember to keep kids in sunglasses because it can help prevent the development of cataracts. They'll also have sport sunglasses for biking, skiing and swimming and other accessories for the eyes like lens cleaners, cloths and eyeglass cords. 

Bayside Floral is a division of Bayside Garden Center and has a menagerie of different decorative pieces including both fresh flowers and fake. They'll be featuring their clearance items, fresh flower bouquet specials and 10 percent off store-wide. 

This pilates studio also offers a workout technique called "CoreAlign." Studio owner Patty McNichols said it's a form of vertical pilates that focuses most on alignment. Friday they'll be offering free CoreAlign lessons and McNichols said in just a few minutes of trying CoreAlign, a person can begin to stand differently. 

The coffee giant is also participating at a local level in the sidwalk sale, sharing free samples of their newest caffeinated concoction, Refreshers. They come in two flavors, Cool Lime and Very Berry Hibiscus. 

Other businesses like Maxfield's Pancake House said they are definitely planning to participate, but they're finalizing their plants as to exactly what they're going to offer. 

The sidewalk sale begins at 11 a.m. and will run til 5 p.m. Patch will be there taking photos, so be sure to stop back after the sale and check out all the pictures.