Springtime comes with about 70 more things to do in downtown Santa Maria on a Friday evening than any other night of the week. This year marks the fourth that the city is hosting Downtown Fridays every spring through summer. The family-friendly event returned to the Town Center West parking lot on March 29 and is scheduled to occur every Friday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. through Sept. 27 (weather permitting).
Guests of the weekly gathering can enjoy food booths, local beer tastings, live music in both English and Spanish, and a kids area, as well as additional entertainment options. The event is part of the city’s downtown plan, an initiative focusing on ways to help draw more visitors to downtown Santa Maria.
The initial idea for Downtown Fridays, first pitched by local event promoter Sofia Lariz, was to offer live music downtown every Friday night. The proposition grew from there and became a collaboration between Lariz, fellow promoter Ed Carcarey, and Peter Gilli and Neda Zayer with the city.
“I told [Gilli] Sofia’s idea and he loved it,” Carcarey told the Sun. “He and Neda put the idea together and ran with it. Six months later, we had our first Downtown Fridays.”
With each passing year, the goal of the organizers is to properly analyze what’s been going wrong and what’s been going right, Carcarey explained.
“Each year, we try to make changes based on what we learned the year before,” he said. “This year we added more food and dessert booths and increased the number of entertainment options.”
Additional improvements include a more spacious kids zone, street renovations along Broadway, and better lighting at the event through six new LED lights.
Special upcoming events at Downtown Fridays include a Wine and Design Contest on April 26 at 6:45 p.m. and a Spartatroniks demonstration from Orcutt Academy on May 3 from 6:45 to 7:15 p.m. The Lock Boxx—the San Luis Obispo-based mobile escape room—will be on-site for guests to enjoy on May 3.
On May 24, Mayor Alice Patino will honor Orcutt native and country singer Pryor Baird during Downtown Fridays at 6:45 p.m. Baird is probably best known for competing on The Voice in 2018. Other live music acts set to perform over the next few months include Legends, Shaky Groundz, Swing Shift, No Harm, Brass Factory, Different Strings, Louie Ortega, Joe Daddy, and Souled Out.
Last year, an average of 2,000 people total attended each Downtown Fridays event, Carcarey said.
“My favorite part of the event is bringing together people of all backgrounds, colors, and cultures,” Carcarey said. “I love seeing people and families having a good time in a safe environment.”
Both admission and parking at Downtown Fridays are free. Call (805) 925-0951 or visit cityofsantamaria.org for more information.
Highlight:
• The city of Guadalupe, in partnership with the Local Government Commission, hosts two Our Town, Our Future events at the American Legion Hall during the week of April 21. The community is invited to discuss ways to improve safety and conditions for walking, bicycling, transit, and driving; beautify downtown Guadalupe and promote business development; and connect the city to the beach and other locations. The first event is the Downtown Walk and Workshop on April 22, which features a walk with design experts from 5 to 6 p.m. and a workshop to develop solutions from 6 to 8:30 p.m. The second event, Presentation of Concepts, takes place on April 25, from 6 to 7:30 pm. The events accommodate both English and Spanish speakers. All ages are welcome. Food and refreshments will be provided.
Calendar Editor Caleb Wiseblood wrote this week’s Biz Spotlight. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, mail, or email at spotlight@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Apr 18-25, 2019.
