Turlock hopes to bring in the brides
The Central Valley farm town is making plans to be the state's top spot for wedding-related business.
TURLOCK, CALIF. — The downtown area in this Central Valley city is a little slow these days. More than 20% of the retail space is empty. Last week the big news was a skunk plopping down outside an antique store, shutting it for several hours until a government expert could tranquilize it and haul it away.
But in a couple of years, downtown could be a lot more exciting. As the business community sees it, brides-to-be from 100 miles around will converge on Turlock's vintage, tree-lined Main Street, seeking the perfect wedding dress, the perfect wedding ring, the perfect travel agent for the perfect honeymoon.
To the strains of piped-in classical music, they'll flit from boutique to bakery, leaving behind piles of cash in the city's once-sleepy heart. They'll dine in frou-frou restaurants and, maybe one day, they'll even get married in the specialty hotel that's sure to be drawn here.
Though the economic health of Turlock has hinged largely on almonds, cows and turkeys, there's been something else in the air lately: Call it love.
Eager to find a distinctive identity for the agricultural city of 69,000, a business group aims to turn downtown into California's biggest bridal destination. Planners have floated names for the district like "Courtship Square" and "Relationship Plaza." They envision signs bearing slogans like: "Turlock -- Where Wedding Dreams Come True."
Later this month, the City Council will be asked to give its blessing to the plan. The city will not be asked for money initially, but the plan's supporters hope eventually for redevelopment funds.
Mayor John Lazar, a lifelong Turlocker, as residents call themselves, was enthusiastic.
"What could be better than encouraging marriage and family values, and planning around that theme?" he asked.
If it goes as planned, the six-block stretch of Main Street will be one of just a handful of neighborhoods in the United States devoted to premarital peddling. The best-known is in Reading, Ohio, a town outside Cincinnati whose "Bridal District" has 38 stores and sponsors promotions like a footrace called the Runaway Bride 5K.
"It's critical to our quality of life," said Linda Fitzgerald, Reading's economic development director. "It brings a stature and recognition to Reading that you can't put a dollar value on." Fitzgerald said that groups from half a dozen cities have called with questions about setting up their own bridal districts.
