A weekly pop-up party is coming to Salt Lake's Main Street
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Photo courtesy: Downtown Alliance
Salt Lake City's Main Street will once again become a pedestrian-only promenade on weekends — now with mini golf!
What's happening: Main Street will be closed to vehicle traffic on Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 1am through Oct. 28 for the four blocks south of Temple Square.
- Live performers, games and other entertainment will fill the street, and eateries can expand into sidewalk cafés.
Of note: The free entertainment is expanding, with:
- A pop-up park for live music and yoga near Gallivan Plaza;
- A "silent disco" in a shipping container;
- A mini golf course "cascading down Main Street," according to the planners of Open Streets — the city's name for the periodic traffic closures.
What's next: This weekend brings:
- A scavenger hunt of puzzles and riddles — with prizes;
- Hip-Hop Night on Friday at the silent Disco Box;
- The Rock 'n' Ribs festival on Saturday at the Gallivan.
Why it matters: The success of previous "Open Streets" nights prompted Mayor Erin Mendenhall to propose permanently blocking cars from that section of Main to create an entertainment plaza downtown.
The big picture: Salt Lake's downtown has seen a far better recovery than any other U.S. city since the pandemic began, according to cell phone data that measures the number of people out and about.
Erin's thought bubble: Fall is a waaaay nicer time for this than summer.
- The last time I joined the Open Streets party, it was so fun — but the weather was bonkers hot, and it felt like the sun would never set.
- Please, can't we just dump daylight saving time?