Wendy Dana has loved getting to know the community as Penobscot County’s grant manager, a job in which she works with local people and organizations to distribute money.
But she’s excited to get to know the Queen City in a new way this spring, when she opens A Vintage Vixen at the corner of Harlow and Central streets.
Dana’s home decor shop will be one of several new retail locations in downtown Bangor, filling another storefront that has been empty for months. Already this year, a candy store opened on Central Street and a longtime gift shop moved downtown to Main Street.
“We need more retail shops, so that people can go from shop to shop to shop,” Dana said, adding that she’s been excited to see “more life downtown” recently.
The storefront at 78 Harlow St. has been vacant for about a year after Palomas Gifts moved from the space into a different location downtown.
Dana’s store, which she plans to open by April 1, will sell a wide array of both vintage and new items, she said.
That will include home and garden decor like bird baths and planters, kitchenware and home bar items, art, tarot cards, incense, candles, and beauty products from around the world.
“It is going to be very eclectic,” Dana said.
She’s collected vintage items since she was a teenager and has been buying products for the store for the last year, she said.
“I hadn’t seen anything like it here, so I was very excited to develop something new and bring a new shopping experience to people,” Dana said. She added that she plans to set up sofas inside the shop to create a gathering space that people can book for private events like tea parties or craft nights.
Dana’s last day in her job with the county government is Feb. 13, and until then, she’s been working after hours to set up the shop. She’s working to paint the interior, and the space will undergo some minor renovations before opening, she said.
The store is tentatively set to be open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
