#jokingnotjoking

"Delta dating:" makes you laugh, right?  This is serious business (and kinda fun):

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Small town dating:  How's yo momma an' 'em?  

Dating ain't easy in small towns.  You already know everyone.  Or at least your momma does.

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But do you know everyone the next town over?  Clarksdale, meet Cleveland.  Greenville, meet Greenwood.

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One town over, there might be an eligible newcomer, TFA fellow, or visiting farmer you haven't yet met.

Delta Dating is for everyone.

Single, married, all ages...  We're hosting one happy hour just for singles – then inviting the whole town to join the fun, every Second Saturday this summer.

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Big cities have First Friday 'art walks' which started as art gallery tours, and are now street parties where you run into your friends hopping between various restaurants and businesses.  Why can't we make that happen in small towns, too?  Each of our towns may be small, but together, we're mighty.

One Hot Summer:

It'll be too hot for tourists, but hey, we live here.  Local businesses slow down when tourists go home – but we ARE home.  It's steaming hot during the day, so let's all come out to play at night.  Downtown revitalization happens when our streets are full, of tourists and locals; it happens when we ALL show up. 

We're serious.

This is about:

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• Economic development.  We're working hard to create jobs.  Good jobs in the Delta mean your daughters and sons can stay here (or come back home).  But hey: You want grandkids?  Even if your 20-something daughter finds an awesome job here, how do you expect her to find an awesome husband?  Seriously: economic development is about more than jobs – it's about community.  It's about creating a thriving place where people can work and live.

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• Supporting local businesses.  We have amazing gems right here.  We like that they're here, but how are they supposed to stay open, if we don't support them?  We all sink into our routines, cooking and watching TV at home after long weeks at the farm or office.  Or we frequent the same places nearby, and seldom explore the next town over.  Sometimes it just takes a little audacious invite, like a Delta date, to get us off the couch and into the community.

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• Supporting good work.  There's much need in our communities – and many organizations doing good work.  We can support them by volunteering together (cuddling puppies and cooking meals: Best Date Ever?).  The businesses that participate in Second Saturdays and Shared Experiences also donate a small portion of proceeds to a local organization of their choosing.

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• Love in small towns is about embracing our town in one big group hug.  We love our towns.  But they could use a little less talk, a lot more action.

Lets do it.

Here's how it works:

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• Mark your calendar for the Second Saturday of each month throughout our One Hot Summer.

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• Eligible bachelors & bachelorettes are all invited to register on the same app.  (Tinder, Bumble, or...?  Input welcome!)  We'll pick just one, to increase the chance of everyone finding each other.  Feeling shy?  Get your friends to write a profile telling everyone about their Amazing, Hot Friend – that's how it works in small towns anyway.  We're just taking the grapevine online.

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• Second Saturdays we all meet up!  One happy hour mixer will be for singles only.  Everything else is open to all.  Small businesses will host Shared Experiences – like wine and paint nights, historical tours, and volunteer projects – and restaurants and bars may offer local discounts.

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• Delta Prom is the second Saturday in September.  Who will you take to Prom?

We're using newfangled technology and smart business strategy to put a modern spin on one of humanity's oldest traditions: matchmaking.  Our match-making is about connecting friends, lovers, small businesses, and small towns with each other.  Who's in?

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Corona-update:

YES, when this is all over we'll all need to get out of the house...big time!  Whenever we can come together as a community again, Second Saturdays will be a serious street party.  Can't wait.