Reliving the magic of the WOW Tour Experience
We ended Women’s History Month in the best way possible - creating connections and supporting women with our first ever Woman-Owned Walking Tour Experience! On March 30th, WOW owner Amanda Dare led a group of incredible women on a tour of NuLu to eat, drink, shop, and celebrate all day long!
We enjoyed sunshine, laughter, and opportunities to support women-owned businesses! While many women started the day as strangers, we ended the day with new sisters by our side and some great lifelong memories! It might have been the first Tour Experience, but it certainly won’t be the last.
Keep reading below to learn more about this incredible day and the inspiration behind the tour experience!
Want to join us next time? Head here to learn more!
If you’ve visited our store, you’ve probably seen our Woman-Owned Walking Tour maps. These pink maps can be found all around downtown Louisville and feature a map of the NuLu neighborhood, as well as a list of all the women-owned businesses in the area (did you know there are now over 40 woman-owned businesses just in this neighborhood?! So cool!).
When Amanda first dreamed up the walking tour, she saw herself leading groups of women around, sharing her love and passion for woman-owned business with others. It would be a way to come together, feeling those sisterhood vibes, building community… But in 2020, a time of social distancing and doing our best to keep ourselves safe and healthy, this wasn’t possible. So the tour became a self-guided activity. Anyone who came across one of our bright pink maps could explore as much or as little of the neighborhood as they wanted, taking as much time as they’d like to check out the great businesses. And this worked great. Tourists and locals alike loved the walking tour. We quickly lost count of how many people came in the store because they saw the map at their hotel, or who discovered the map in our store and were inspired to set off on an adventure through NuLu.
It was so special being able to connect with countless individuals and spread the word about our sisters in business all around us. It might not have been what Amanda first envisioned, but it was a beautiful outcome nonetheless. In 2023, we increased distribution of our maps to over 60 establishments and we even partnered with Racing Louisville FC to have them sponsor the map! All this growth was amazing, but it left Amanda ready for a new challenge: to lead a group of women on tour!
On March 30th, we held the first ever Woman-Owned Walking Tour Experience! We were so lucky to have 20 incredible women come together for this beautiful day of supporting women!
We began the day with a family-style lunch at Naive Kitchen + Bar. If you’ve never eaten at Naive, you’re really missing out! Every single dish was just incredible, and sitting out on the patio on a beautiful spring day made everyone so happy. This family-style… or sister-style lunch gave everyone a chance to chat and break the ice. The vibes were so high and the laughter was endless!
After lunch, it was time to get walking! We had multiple stops planned for the day with several fun surprises along the way.
Up first was Cherry Pickin'! Sydney, the owner, shared some of her story and then talked about the process of creating the healthy, but oh so delicious, juices they sell! We also got to enjoy a free juice tasting, sampling a few of the most popular flavors offered.
Next, we headed through the NuLu Marketplace and across the street over to Mahonia! Talk about a plant-lover's heaven! We were so lucky to have the friendly and knowledgeable gals at Mahonia there to talk to us about popular houseplants and share some plant-care tips! We love a chance to learn from the pros!
After stocking up on some plants, we headed right next door to WOW's sister business, WOW Factor Collective! WOW Factor is our colorful micro-event space, complete with some adorable wall murals and plenty of disco balls! It was the perfect place for some photo ops! After everyone got their pics, Amanda was able to share a bit more about the WOW World and what we offer beyond our store.
After recharging at WOW Factor for a bit, it was time to get shopping! We went to Six Sisters Boutique and Jones & Daughters. These stores are conveniently located right beside one another, so it was a great chance to hit up two awesome businesses with just one tour stop! It was a great chance to search for a cute new outfit, some adorable accessories, or even gifts for loved one!
While we were finishing up our shopping, a few tour members headed next door to Please & Thank You for some afternoon refreshments. It was an unplanned stop, but such a great way to continue supporting the many woman-owned businesses in the neighborhood!
Once we wrapped up there, it was time to cross the street over to our personal favorite business in the neighborhood… Woman-Owned Wallet! Okay, we're clearly a little biased with our favorite ;) but you can’t have the WOW Tour without stopping at WOW, right? It was a really good chance to tie everything together, talking about why shopping woman-owned is so important and why we're always trying to put money in the wallets of women!
A couple people on the tour had never shopped with us, so it was a great chance for them to see the shop and meet the rest of the WOW team who were working that day. As an added bonus, our friend Maddie from Maddie About Cake had dropped off some of her delicious macarons at the store that morning, so everyone on the tour got a free little treat to take home!
After leaving WOW, it was time to visit Bailey at Bloomed Roots! We were so lucky to get to talk with Bailey a bit about her story as a business owner and the artistry that goes into creating such beautiful floral masterpieces! If you're looking for a fresh bouquet for a special occasion, a dried floral arrangement that can last forever, or want to create your own bouquet just because, Bloomed Roots offers it all.
While we were over there, we also headed next door to Revelry Boutique + Gallery to shop a bit more and enjoy some of the great art on display in the gallery that day!
Our final stop of the day was Bar G at Hotel Genevieve. This rooftop bar has beautiful views of the city and it was the perfect place to end our day. The golden hour glow and beautiful decor throughout the hotel made it the perfect setting for a drink (and a few yummy dessert boards) with friends! We toasted to a beautiful day full of supporting women + the beautiful new friendships we created. The WOW Tour is a great way to learn about and shop woman-owned businesses, but it's also a beautiful way to build a sisterhood!
