Businesses who participated in the downtown open house reported seeing new customers. The Big Easy Lounge at the Charles Inn commented on seeing new faces and friends they hadn't seen in a while. They also said that they gave away some free bar bucks and are enthusiastic about continuing to offer their 'half-room' discount rate to Fusion members.

That was the goal of Fusion's Downtown Open House and the overarching goal of the Downtown Proud movement. Downtown Proud wants to illustrate the vitality of our region's downtowns, exemplifying the multitude of things there are to do and experience. We want our fellow young residents to realize that it is worth living and working here, and we want them to share in our downtown pride.

Downtown Proud has only just begun. If you're interested in hearing more about it, I would encourage you to come to Fusion's Noontime Networks this month on Thursday, June 21 from 12 to 1 p.m. at Wellman Commons (at the Bangor Masonic Lodge). Noontime Networks is Fusion's monthly networking luncheon where members come to network and hear a presentation on a topic relevant to the Bangor Region. June's topic will highlight downtown Bangor and what Fusion is doing to support it. Zachary Robbins of Her Majesty's Caberet will also be on hand to talk about how their unique performance experience relates to downtown. Lunch will be served by Ann Marie's Kitchen, and the cost to attend is $10 if you RSVP in advance. RSVPs can be emailed to  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Fusion would like to thank all downtown Bangor businesses who participated in the first Downtown Proud Open House.