Entrepreneurs Share Info About Businesses at "What's Up Downtown" Information Exchange

What's Up Downtown Fall 2025

ALTON - Community leaders and entrepreneurs had the opportunity to share more about their businesses in downtown Alton.

On Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, Alton Main Street hosted their quarterly “What’s Up Downtown” information exchange at The Wedge Innovation Center in Alton. Executive Director Sara McGibany thanked the community for coming out and encouraged them to visit the official Alton Main Street website for more updates about upcoming events, including Small Business Saturday, First Friday on Dec. 5, 2025, and more.

Troy Taylor with the American Oddities Museum explained that the museum will be moving from Mineral Springs Mall to a new spot at the Snyder building at 3rd and Piasa Streets. In addition to their regular haunted and eclectic museum items, they will offer Alton souvenirs and similar merchandise.

“I’ll stick with the haunted stuff,” Taylor said. “I have an unusual job, so I have picked up on a lot of odd things.”

The American Oddities Museum will be at Mineral Springs Mall until Dec. 13, with plans to open in their new location on Jan. 17, 2025.

Scot Heathman, the CEO of The Wedge Innovation Center, thanked the community for coming out to The Wedge for the What’s Up Downtown meeting. He explained that The Wedge is a coworking space where people can rent out office space or conference rooms on a membership model. They also partner with SIUE to host workshops and programs.

“We look at it as an economic development engine,” Heathman said. “We’re trying to bring workshops and programs and workforce development…We like to call it a living LinkedIn.”

Susan Dale owns SuzyQ’s Designs and Finds, currently open at 303 Ridge Street. She explained that she recently bought the Ragin Cajun Piano Bar building at 210 W. 3rd Street and hopes to have renovations completed by January. The new space will include the thrift shop, a floor devoted to a crafting space, and an area where customers can enjoy snacks and drinks.

“I’ve got anything from fishing gear to makeup to antiques to jewelry and everything in between,” Dale said. “It’s definitely an adventure.”

Yvette Paris shared information about Riverbend Renewal, a new nonprofit she has created to restore historic homes in the region. Paris and her family have started by restoring the home at 818 Union Street, and they hope to expand their reach to other houses in the Alton area. They also plan to engage with local trades programs to teach students more about historic restoration.

“I’ve taken off the rose-colored glasses and learned a lot,” Paris said. “What we saw was a lot of really great organizations that had been here a long time that were doing really, really good work. But I felt like we could complement that by being the doers.”

Jeff Bohnert with Elysian Gallery encouraged people to stop by the gallery in Mineral Springs Mall for the upcoming ARTEAST program this weekend. You can receive 10% off a purchase under $100 if you bring a $10 food or toy donation. The gallery will also be open on Small Business Saturday, and they are eager to showcase the new “Songs of Celestials” exhibit.

“A big thank-you for the support from the community. We just opened in August and it has gone really well so far,” Bohnert added.

For more information about the quarterly “What’s Up Downtown” meetings or Alton Main Street, visit the official Alton Main Street website at DowntownAlton.com.

More like this:

Alton Main Street to host Pop-Up Clothing Swap on April 26

Apr 14, 2026

Pop-Up Clothing Swap to Be Held in Alton This Weekend

Apr 20, 2026

Free Video Editing Masterclass Set for July 1 at The Wedge in Alton

Jun 27, 2026

Pup Crawl (That’s A Pub Crawl + Dogs!) To Take Place On Saturday, May 30 In Downtown Alton

May 27, 2026

"What's Up Downtown" Shares Summer Plans for Local Businesses and Organizations

May 13, 2026