"Your Saturday in paradise" - city center initiative plans days of action

Under the motto "Your Saturday in Paradise", the Jena City Centre Initiative is organizing action days in the city center on the second Saturday of every month from July. On 10 July, 14 August and 11 September, the association aims to attract people from Jena and the region to the center of the City of Light with all kinds of offers and surprises. Discounts, treats and music are intended to make a visit to the city center an experience.

The action days are part of the "City Centre Package of Measures", a comprehensive attraction program to revitalize Jena's city centre after the pandemic.

"There was actually supposed to be a Heimatshoppen market," reports Michaela Jahn-Neubert, Chairwoman of the City Center Initiative. "As the opening of the stores and restaurants has tied up a lot of the traders' resources, many of them are unable to organize a market," says Jahn-Neubert, "which is why we have tweaked the concept a little." The originally planned Heimatshoppen market is therefore being converted into a decentralized form. "This means that every retailer can create their own little 'market' on their sales floor," says Jahn-Neubert, delighted with the newly developed project.

Many retailers have already come up with their own promotions. Customers can look forward to discount campaigns, competitions and small gifts, for example.

"In Wagnergasse, the retailers from the Fräulein Meier specialist store and Kabuff are planning a small creative market," Jahn-Neubert announces full of anticipation.

Jena's gourmets will also get their money's worth: the "Daheme" restaurant, for example, will be offering a "ginger tasting". The restaurateurs in Oberlauengasse, such as the restaurant "Zur Noll", "Vom Fass" and "Brandmarken", also want to bring their culinary offerings to the streets on the campaign days. Finally, musical accompaniment will round off the inner-city experience.

"We are already making arrangements with a number of local artists," announces Carsten Müller, Head of JenaKultur.

In the coming days, the individual activities of the committed association members will be announced via the social media channels of the city center initiative.

"People can look forward to lots more surprises!" says Jahn-Neubert euphorically.

In addition to the campaigns by Jena's tradespeople, the aim is to provide free parking in the city center during the campaign Saturdays as well as free use of Jena's public transport system.

Mayor Christian Gerlitz says: "To ensure that the 'Saturdays in Paradise' are accepted by as many people as possible from Jena and the surrounding area, we will waive the parking fees in Jena. We are also planning to offer free use of local public transport: our application is currently being examined by the state administration office. These measures are part of a whole bundle of activities from which retailers and restaurateurs, as well as users, can benefit directly."

Michaela Jahn-Neubert is calling on all Jena retailers and restaurateurs to join the "Your Saturday in Paradise" campaign:

"We would be delighted if as many retailers and restaurateurs as possible took part, even beyond the initiative. Together we can give people an unforgettable and eventful day in Jena!"

Information about "Your Saturday in Paradise" and the planned activities can be found on the website www.innenstadt-jena.de and on the social media channels of the city center initiative. Interested traders who would like to take part in the campaign can contact the association at citymanager@innenstadt-jena.de