Seventh annual Girlfriends’ Weekend Nov. 1-3

The seventh annual Girlfriends’ Weekend is coming to Hill City. This year, the events will be held over a three-day period from Nov. 1-3.

“Seven years ago, the downtown merchants got together and wanted to make the offseason better,” said Lorena Freis, who is helping to put on Girlfriends’ Weekend.

That conversation spawned the annual Girlfriends’ Weekend.

Every year, the merchants try to make Girlfriends’ Weekend bigger and better, Freis said, and this year will be no different.

This year will be the first time events are held over a three-day period, Freis said. The events will be all day Friday, Nov. 1 and Saturday, Nov. 2, while events will just be held on the morning of Sunday. Nov. 3.

The annual Girlfriends’ Weekend Fashion Show will be held at High Country Guest Ranch on Friday night. Doors will open at 6 p.m. while the show will begin at 7 p.m.

On Saturday night, humorist Dorothy Rosby will perform at Naked Winery. The theme will be “’Tis the season to feel inadequate.” Doors will open at 6 p.m., and the show will begin at 7 p.m.

There will be two events on Sunday. At 9 a.m., the Alpine Inn will hold a mimosa breakfast with Deanna Becket, who will “speak life.” Tickets are required for this event and are available online.

Also on Sunday will be a walk for women and families. The walk will begin at 11 a.m. at The Farmer’s Daughter on Main Street. Bring a $5 donation to benefit the Hill City Food Pantry.

“In addition to all of that, we ask businesses to have an activity because those coming will want to do thing with their girlfriends,” Freis said.

Activities include a trivia contest at Cream, designing tile at Everything Prehistoric and making and stamping leather at Art Forms, among many others.

The objective of the weekend, Freis said, is to have female friends come to Hill City and celebrate their friendship with one another.

“They normally come with no husbands,” she said. “They like to enjoy the activities in each store with their friends.”

Typically, 400 to 600 people come to Hill City to participate in the festivities, Freis said. It acts as a bolster to business in what is typically a slow time of the year.

Some of the participants come for certain days, Freis said, it is hoped with the event lasting Friday through Sunday more people will pick to stay for the entire weekend.

It’s a multi-person team who helps put the weekend on, Freis said. This year, the Girlfriends’ Weekend team consists of Freis, Janna Emmel, Stephanie Weyer, Angela Crisman, Sarah Stout, Christy Hawthorne and Janet Wetovick-Bily.

The group started meeting in March and met a couple of times before the summer started. After the summer season, Freis said they have been meeting every week to discuss the weekend.

“The weekend is a lot of fun,” Freis said. “As a shop owner, there is nothing more satisfying than to have women walking in your store and knowing they are having a good time.”