April was supposed to include an inaugural Spring Fling and Cookie Adventure event. Rather than the traditional Girls’ Night Out, the Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce was going to shake things up with a daytime event that would include the opportunity to buy one of 100 Cookie Adventure Passports. Proceeds from the passport sales would go to Alpha Family Center, and the passport would entitle the bearer to receive a specialty cookie from Deirdre’s Cake & Bakes at 10 different locations downtown.
Well, COVID-19 put an end to the planned event, but local merchants decided to take the Spring Fling online with a variety of special offers. As for the Cookie Adventure, it was decided that the sweet treats would be distributed through a drive-through event. The Cookie Adventure Drive-Through happened this past Saturday, and 100 bags of cookies were sold out in 15 minutes, netting more than $1,800 for Alpha Family Center.
The Cookie Adventure Drive-Through was preceded by a parade of people walking down Main Street from Broadway Street to Jackson Street. Led by the city’s Riverwalk duck, a number of downtown merchants dressed up to participate.
There were super heroes, storybook characters and even Katie, the elephant from the Kent District Library, made an appearance. Everyone was, of course, practicing all the proper social distancing and safety precautions.
The procession ended at Alpha Family Center where the Cookie Adventure began.
The event was supposed to run from 12pm-4pm, but a steady of stream of cars through the Alpha Family Center parking lot meant the cookies disappeared fast.
Drivers made a donation, were handed a bag of cookies and then were off on their way.
Deirdre Olszewski made all the cookies and was on hand to help pass them out. The local pastry chef included an assortment in each bag, ranging from specialty flavors like lavender lemon shortbread and chai spice sandwich cookies along to perennial favorites such as chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies.
By 12:15pm the cookie bags were gone but those who managed to grab one, landed not just cookies but a collection of discounts from Lowell retailers as well.
Although it’s too soon to know whether the event will be repeated next year, it seems obvious this is the type of adventure Lowell residents want and need right now.
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