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The vibrant spirit of Mrs. Roper descended upon Commerce Street on Saturday, Apr. 6, as women bedecked in colorful caftans, red wigs, and chunky beaded necklaces gathered for the first-ever Mrs. Roper’s Caftan Crawl. Inspired by the iconic character Helen Roper from the 1970s sitcom “Three’s Company,” the gatherings, also known as Caftan Crawls or Mrs. Roper Romps, have become a nationwide phenomenon for promoting fun and fellowship and often serving as fundraisers for various causes.

Danan Whiddon, organizer of the event on Commerce Street, expressed her aspirations to align the event with charitable causes in the future.

“All over the country, women are getting together to do these kinds of walks. Some of these are for charities. I couldn’t get it all together early enough to do it for charity this time but I would like to do it every year and maybe by next year we’ll raise money for different charities,” Whiddon said. “It’s really just about getting together, having fun and enjoying this beautiful downtown that we have.”

The enthusiastic group started their walk at Whiddon’s shop, Sweet Heart Alabama and paraded down Commerce Street, making stops at local businesses including the Alabama Grill, True South Outfitters, Not the Norm Boutique, Coffee Cup Quilters, Camellia Sweet Treats and the Camellia City Bakery.

Greenville resident Liza Berrey shared her perspective on the event’s impact, highlighting its role in community bonding.

“I like being part of the community,” Berrey said. “And I think it’s important to be part of the community. I want to support it because we have a great downtown and I want to keep it alive.”

Kathy and Terrie Mills, drawn by the event’s novelty, discovered the Caftan Crawl through social media and eagerly joined in.

“It’s just good, clean fun, I’m excited,” Kathy said. “It looked like fun, so why not?” Terrie asked.