The following originally appeared in the Downtown Barrie BIA newsletter:
Twice a month Dunlop Street will be closed to cars from Maple Avenue to Mulcaster, making room for people to roll and stroll, shop and patio hop.
We're partnering to offer lots of fun activities such as yoga, dance and fitness classes, art activities, live music and more. The more everyone gets involved, the more fun and vibrant Open Air Dunlop gets.
On Open Air Saturdays you're invited to use the sidewalk space in front of your storefront. Why not setup some tables and chairs? A chair says welcome, even if no one is sitting in it. Or create a play area with sidewalk chalk, hula hoops and skipping ropes. Put out a reading area, board games or colouring books. Host a musician or artist. Or feature a vendor whose products you carry in your store.
Bring your shop outside to invite people in! A great example is Joshua's Greenery, who always has a beautiful display of flowers outside their door. On regular, non-Open Air Dunlop days, you're allowed to use one meter of space in front of your business.
So even if you don't have a full patio, you can still set up a couple small tables and chairs like RIPE Juicery does. Even a colourful and fun window display will attract shoppers to explore more inside.
If you plan on using the area outside your storefront we recommend adding the Downtown Barrie Business Improvement Area (BIA) and the Corporation of the City of Barrie as an additional insured to your insurance policy. This shouldn't involve any additional cost to your insurance
The dates and themes for this season are:
June 10 — Barrie Air Show
June 24 — Troubadour Festival
July 1 — Canada Day
July 15 — Between Sets Live Music Series
Aug. 12 — Ethnic Mosaic Nights Festival (evening)
Aug. 26 — Ethnic Mosaic Nights Festival (evening)
Sept. 9 — Yoga Festival (day) Street Dance (evening)
Sept. 23 — Culture Days
Oct. 7 — Thanksgiving
Oct. 28 — Halloween
If you have an idea and you'd like to get involved, reach out to [email protected].
