A popular downtown event is set to return better than ever this summer.
For the third year in a row, Dunlop Street in downtown Barrie will close to vehicles and transform into a family-friendly, pedestrian-only zone, confirmed Downtown Barrie BIA’s communications and public realm coordinator Sarah Jensen.
This summer, she said the plan is to host the popular Open Air Dunlop twice a month beginning June 10 and running for 10 Saturdays — with the last one scheduled for the end of October.
“The idea is still very new for downtown Barrie, so we are still sort of playing with it and learning as we go,” she said, adding the hope is that by holding a smaller number of events over the course of the summer, organizers can make each one “a little bit bigger and better each time."
Last summer, Open Air Dunlop ran over the course of 22 Saturdays,
“We are just taking a bit of a step back. Doing it every single Saturday last year, there were a few that were hit and miss, especially with the weather, so this just gives a bit more energy to build each one a little bit bigger and better,” Jensen said.
The popular event will continue to include a variety of different activities for visitors to join in on, including free yoga, art activities, live music and possibly even dance classes.
Open Air Dunlop was initially created as a pilot project in the fall of 2021 as a way to bring people to the downtown area.
“It was mid-pandemic and it was a way to give space for people to get together but in a safe way and to be welcomed back into the downtown again — and to have a chance to explore it. People really embraced it and they enjoy coming down with their families and having the chance to gather,” Jensen said.
It also offers visitors the chance to explore the different shops and restaurants.
“We are just looking at continuing to build on (the success). It’s a great chance to bring people together and to have a lot of community and collaboration, so we just want to get everyone to come down," she said. "Downtown belongs to all of us. We really want people to come and be a part of it.
"There are so many great shops and restaurants to discover, and a lot of opportunities to get involved. We always invite our community groups and really try to collaborate with all these different organizations … and to get people to learn about their city," Jensen added.
