Summer in the city — Main Street Wooster summer events return
After a challenging 2020, Main Street Wooster is excited to bring lots of people downtown to enjoy a variety of events.
COVID-19 shut down or scaled back nearly all of Main Street Wooster’s popular downtown events last summer.
Not so this year.
Main Street Wooster Inc. has a full summer schedule on tap with old favorites like the cruise-ins and farmers market and new additions like Second Saturdays.
“We’ve really been desperate. We really missed the events we all had gathered for traditionally,” said John Benko-Scruggs, MSW project coordinator.
Programs slated for this summer include two cruise-ins, the farmers market, Second Saturdays, Spring Shop Hop, Downtown Story Walk, Wayne County Historical Society Summer Community Band concert, a Taste of Downtown, Christmas in July Sidewalk Sale Spectacular, Summer Shop Hop, the Movie on the Lawn and The College of Wooster Pipe Band.
The Summer Series: Main Street Music will have musicians under the pavilion on the square on Thursdays and Fridays from 6-8 p.m. starting June 3. Go to Mainstreetwooster.org for the schedule of musicians.
“We are really excited to see people come back out,” said Shannon Waller, MSW executive director. “At the same time, we recognize the pandemic goes on to some extent, so we are still taking steps to keep people safe while they come out and enjoy our beautiful downtown. We’ll continue to comply with any state and county health advisories. But we definitely see this as a big step forward.”
One of the most popular continuing events is the farmers market.
The 2021 farmers market season started May 15 and will end Oct. 9, happening each Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. Each week local vendors provide fresh produce, flowers, baked goods and more. Benko-Scruggs urges people to visit every week, as many offerings are seasonal.
At-risk customers can shop beginning at 8 a.m., and everyone is welcome from 9 a.m. to noon.
To keep the market as safe as possible, MSW has implemented increased sanitation and best practices based on the guidelines of the federal, state and local governments, as well as the Wayne County Health Department. For more details about attending the market, visit www.MainStreetWooster.org and find information about the farmers market under the Events tab. MSW also has information shared on its Facebook page.
The market takes place on North Market Street, just north of the main square, also utilizing the northeast square quadrant parking lot.
“People also might want to take advantage of the DORA while they're out and about enjoying any of our downtown events,” Waller said.
DORA stands for designated outdoor refreshment area and enables people to purchase alcoholic beverages and have them outdoors up and down Liberty Street and surrounding designated areas.
Several businesses and shops will be open early for people to enjoy while they’re downtown for the farmers market.
A new event this year is Second Saturdays.
On the second Saturday of the month, MSW will celebrate the best of local arts and culture downtown. Chalk artists will have murals throughout the downtown district, there will be an artisan market in the southeast quadrant and a performance by The Dancing Wheels Company will start at 1 p.m.
Benko-Scruggs urged residents to grab lunch at one of the downtown establishments, shop the downtown’s boutiques and take advantage of the DORA.
“Other communities around here do something like this idea, like Canton does First Fridays,” Benko-Scruggs said. “We didn't want to be in a competition with them, so we decided on Saturdays.”
Once a month on the second Saturday, MSW will host a variety of musical performances, theatrical groups and dance troupes, along with kid-focused activities to bring families downtown to engage with the arts and think locally. This series is free to everyone to encourage the community to take advantage of its mix of culture and creativity.
A staple of downtown’s summers are the cruise-ins. “We are beyond ecstatic to bring back the cruise-ins for the 2021 season,” Benko-Scruggs said.
He said MSW literally fielded hundreds of calls last summer inquiring about the events showcasing a variety of classic cars.
The first cruise-in will be Friday, June 18 from 6:30-9:30 p.m., and then it will return Friday, Aug. 20.
The Airchiefs, a Cleveland-based band that plays '60s and '70s music, will perform for the June cruise-in. SOBOS (“some of the best old songs”) will headline the August event with '70s and '80s music.
May 29 through June 12 will feature the Downtown Story Walk. In place of the traditional Kids' Day, the downtown businesses will display a Storywalk in their windows. Participants can explore downtown while reading "Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood." Participants can get a passport from participating locations or the Main Street Wooster office. They then bring their stamped passports to the public square on June 12, where they can be redeemed for a free kids kit (limited quantities). Moana and Rapunzel will be available for photos at STUDIO 217 from noon to 2 p.m.
The Wayne County Historical Society Summer Community Band will present a concert in the northeast quadrant of the square on Thursday, July 15 from 7-8:30 p.m. The band will perform crowd classics along with marches, show tunes, patriotic songs and more. Spectators are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs. If the weather does not permit the outside concert, the concert will be held in St. Mary's gymnasium (across from the Wayne County Historical Society).
The downtown Wooster restaurants will come together in a Taste of Downtown on Thursday, July 22 from 5-9 p.m. in an event to showcase their best dishes, served in sample-sized portions. Participating restaurants and their menus are yet to be announced.
Christmas in July Sidewalk Sale Spectacular will debut Saturday, July 24. Downtown businesses will decorate their sidewalks with displays and offer deals to help celebrate Christmas in July.
On Saturday, Aug. 14, a Summer Shop Hop will feature more attractions and specials, with details yet to be announced.
Residents can vote on the MSW Facebook page for their favorite movie to be featured at the Movie on the Lawn on Saturday, Aug. 28 at 8:30 p.m. on the Wayne County Public Library front lawn. It will include food vendors and kid-friendly activities.
Rounding out the summer’s events, the traditional performance of The College of Wooster Pipe Band and Highland Dancers will be held Thursday, Sept. 2 from 7-8 p.m. on the square. The performance is free, and concert-goers should bring their chairs.