In lieu of Night Out, Flourish magazine hosts virtual lunches next week

Flourish Night Out, an annual event typically drawing hundreds of visitors, was set for Thursday, but this year, it’ll look a bit different.

Flourish, a magazine for Southeast Missouri women produced by rustmedia, will host an entire week of virtual lunch date events next week, said rustmedia project and event manager Jamie Phillips.

The lunch series has been ongoing, as a 30-minute Facebook Live segment held at noon each Thursday, Phillips said.

A local woman is invited to share information or a demonstration, she added. These Flourish Lunch Dates have been an enjoyable way to socialize from noon to 1 p.m. Thursdays while staying socially distant, she said.

Several vendors who would have been set up at Flourish Night Out will be participating in a live market for vendors, Phillips added. That market goes live Monday.

“While we would have loved to have had our in-person event, we just thought this made more sense for now,” Phillips said.

Event time is from noon to 1 p.m. each weekday, beginning Monday. The schedule is as follows:

• Monday, May 18: Music: Live music from Faith and Anna Essner
• Tuesday, May 19: Movement: Zumba with Ellen Gipson; strength training with Fit Cape
• Wednesday, May 20: Food & Drink: Intuitive Eating with Tori Mincemeyer; cocktail creations with Nick and Marian Johnston
• Thursday, May 21: Mindfulness: Yoga and meditation with Shakti and Free Yoga Studio; poetry with Mia Pohlman
• Friday, May 22: Creativity: Painting with Monica Foltz; floral arranging with Laurie Everett; hand lettering with Mollie Young

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