Huddled in front of Forté Frozen Yogurt a swell of onlookers struggle to get within ear-shot of the poets reading their off-the-cuff original works.

Down the street a quiet crowd takes turns scanning the massive Day of the Dead shrine in front of J&R Tacos.
At October’s Downtown Art Hop, the fourth in the series that unites artists with businesses in a community art display, the benefits were obvious.

Hundreds of feet on downtown pavement with eyes wide open taking in the surroundings. The sidewalks flooded as people roam from shop to shop talking with artists and listening to musicians.

Kevin Hammon, who co-founded the Art Hop with his fiancé Kimberly Zamora, says it was the realization of their image for the event.

“The Art Hop is just one example of what we can do if we work together downtown,” says Hammon. “You can see what happens when we come together and organize for ourselves.”

With the help of a grant from the Merced County Arts Council and a hard working board of directors, Hammon’s project has gradually been ramped up to one of the premier events downtown.

Sitting on the Art Hop board is Hammon, Merced County Arts Council Executive Director Staci Santa, Between Friends owners Luis and Irene De La Cruz, promoter Jonathan Whitaker and Mike Steen.

As the organization has grown, so too has the event, which now extends from I to N streets and features more than 50 businesses and 70 artists.

The ones reaping the most benefits from this boom is the business owner.

For Forté Frozen Yogurt owner Alexander Lu-Pon, working with the Art Hop has been key in exposing his young business to Merced.

“Initially we just jumped in on the Art Hop because we saw it as a chance to get involved downtown,” says Lu-Pon. “I think it’s a reminder that we are a community. There is no front business, we are all just working together and it is successful because of that element.”

Through the Art Hop, Forté has attracted new crowds and even established relationships with future vendors.
In October, Forté had poetry readings by members of the Merced Writers Center and even passersby who wanted to participate.

“The people really enjoyed it,” says Lu-Pon, whose shop is the only tenant of the Merced Theatre spaces. “It really brought people to this side of the street.”

That same combination of entertainment and exposure has worked up and down Main Street.

Tami Davison, owner of Diva Accessories, says nothing beats a packed house on a Saturday night.

“Being able to look out at my store on a Saturday night and to have it full of people is amazing,” says Davidson, who said in October she had a continuous flow of 30 to 40 people in her store who had never been there before. “So many people live in our community but don’t come downtown. But they are at The Art Hop.”

Davidson aided Hammon and Zamora in the early stages of the Art Hop and credits Hammon’s passion for its rapid growth.
“Kevin is a phenomenal promoter,” says Davidson. “He really wants to push downtown forward.”

And he’s done it from the shadows, keeping the focus on the many participating businesses and away from himself or even the organization.

“It’s not the Kevin Hammon show. But honestly when you look what’s going on here, he’s responsible for a lot of it,” says Lu-Pon. “That a testament to his willingness to put community first.”

The next Art Hop is on January 23 and starts at 5 p.m.

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