TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Vendors on Perry Street in Tallahassee are setting up ahead of FAMU’S home game this weekend, amid tightened security following last week’s shooting.
Vendors said they aren’t going anywhere despite the shooting, as vendors typically set up on and off campus.
On-campus vendors are set up right in front of the Gaither Gym across from Al Lawson, while off-campus vendors are on private streets like Perry Street and surrounding areas.
For vendors like D&L’s Seafood, Perry Street has been a part of their lifestyle for years and they’re not willing to let one bad moment ruin all of the good. Darrien Rodgers at D&L’s Seafood said he’ll be there regardless.
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“Our customer’s clientele is very, very good. Upbeat and we still come because we haven’t had a shooting like the past tense, but we’ve had little fights and scrimmages, but nothing to get scared about or worried about, but I’m gonna be coming regardless because I love FAMU, I love coming up to Tallahassee, and doing what I do,” Rodgers said.
Third-year FAMU student Samuel King says he’s made memories here and some before he got to campus.
“Students will continue to go to Perry Street because it’s tradition, it’s something that’s been happening a really long time. Being that I am from Tallahassee, as a child I used to go with my mother, and my family members after games or before games during homecoming. It’s just something that happens,” King said.
That connection is something many FAMU students share. For them, Perry Street isn’t just about the food or the festivities; it’s about the memories made with friends and family, the culture and the sense of community that brings people back year after year.
While safety is top of mind right now, students say the community and culture built on this street are irreplaceable.
FAMU has two games left and for this Saturday’s game, all campus tailgate lots will close two hours after the game ends at approximately 8 p.m.
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