Okemos Landmark “Shopping Cart Lady” Returns

If you've driven through Okemos along Grand River Avenue recently, you might have noticed that the famous neon 'shopping cart lady' atop the Playmakers sign is no longer there.

For those of you worried about where she is, I have some good news: she won't be gone long.

The Famous Neon Shopping Cart Lady Sign in Okemos

This iconic neon sign has been a fixture of the greater Lansing area for over 60 years now!

Courtesy of Google Maps Streetview

It was first installed at 2299 W. Grand River Avenue (currently Playmakers) in 1958 when the space was a Schmidt's Food Market.

Even though Schmidt's Food Market closed back in the 80s, the neon shopping cart lady has stood strong, despite the many businesses that have occupied the space since—a bookstore, a buffet, a café, and now a shoe store. She even survived a fire back in 2015.

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In order to keep her lights glowing and those shopping cart wheels 'spinning', so to speak, the shopping cart lady has come down for a bit of maintenance. "She's gone for a run," as Lindsey Mulder from Playmakers ownership team said.

When Will the Neon Shopping Cart Lady Be Back?

The shopping cart lady will be gone for about six to eight weeks for maintenance before she gets reinstalled. And, to commemorate her restoration and reinstallation, there will be an evening "Fun Run Under the Lights". They will relight the shopping cart lady sign for everyone to see, and the evening will include "music, food trucks, shirts, and plenty of glow!"

Lansing’s Historic Gilded Age Landmarks Still Standing

Lansing, Michigan's Gilded Age Michigan State Capitol is just one example of that era's architecture. Here's a look at five Gilded Age buildings that still stand in the Capitol City today.

Gallery Credit: Scott Clow