Scranton has First Fridays, and soon, Carbondale will have Second Saturdays.

But first, organizers are looking for more artists and vendors.

Inspired in part by Scranton’s successful free monthly art walk that fills its downtown with artists and events on the first Friday of every month, Carbondale plans to launch its own monthly art walk every second Saturday from May through October to showcase its downtown and “bring art to the downtown, whether it be through music, through paintings, through performance art,” Mayor Michele Bannon said. The inaugural art walk will be May 9 from 4 to 8 p.m. along Main Street.

Bannon hopes Second Saturdays promote city businesses and even inspire new ones by giving local artists a platform to show off their work.

“Anytime that we can create a new business owner or an entrepreneur, that’s just pure music to my ears,” she said. “That’s what we’re looking to do — develop a community where what you do for a living is what you love, first of all, and secondly, to add to the fabric of our downtown.”

Organized by Carbondale-based Women to Women: THRIVE — a group of about 16 business owners, entrepreneurs and artists working to promote the arts in the city — Second Saturdays will replace its annual Arts THRIVE interactive art walk, said Bannon, who is one of the group’s earliest members.

“They needed a refresh, and this is a perfect option,” she said.

Launched in 2018, Arts THRIVE brought artists and vendors to downtown Carbondale for a one-day event every June that asked every participating artist to have an interactive element where attendees create their own art.

Short for “teach, help, reach, invest, value and encourage,” THRIVE operates as part of the Greater Carbondale Chamber of Commerce, according to the group.

To accommodate the event, Carbondale will close part of its Main Street, though they are still working out the logistics with affected businesses, Bannon said.

“We’re working on a plan right now to see what works for everybody and see how we can get it to be safe, and at the same time, have them thrive,” she said.

Second Saturdays will display art throughout venues in the city while collaborating with businesses, including bars and restaurants that will have Second Saturday specials, said THRIVE member, organizer and city business owner Lisa Petz.

Local businesses will stay open late, with after-hours specials and live music at bars, according to Petz.

Carbondale has things to do during the daytime, but not in the evening, Bannon said. Second Saturday gives the city a scheduled, monthly event to bring people downtown in the evening, she said.

“We all have our own assets,” Bannon said. “As a result, we can share them with each other and put on a good time.”

Both Bannon and Petz aspire to turn Second Saturdays into a yearly summertime tradition.

An artist herself, Petz owns a photography studio, Lisa Petz Photography, at 53 Salem Ave. in the city.

“The people in our area are seriously so incredibly talented,” she said. “We don’t give people in our area enough credit. Between the musicians and all of our artists here, so much talent.”

Petz is looking for more of those artists to display their talent in May. Organizers have about a dozen venues where they can display art, not including participating restaurants, she said.

“We’re trying to spread the word as much as we can,” Petz said. “I would love to fill up all of our venues.”

Organizers are also looking for vendors and sponsorships, though vendors won’t be incorporated until the second event in June. Sponsorship packages range from $150 to $500 per event, with a $750 season sponsorship covering all six events.

“We’re really trying to bring our community together,” Petz said. “People always complain that there’s never anything to do, and we’re really trying to bring more things to our town.”

To participate, email womentowomenthrive@gmail.com.