Free parking and live music kick off Downtown Thursdays

• The weekly series features art, culture, music, food and family-friendly activities every Thursday through the end of August.

State of play: The series kicks off Thursday with a block party at Legacy Park 5–7pm.

• The event will feature food, live music, giveaways and more. Local SATX, a microtransit service, will offer free rides to other downtown destinations.
• See the free parking map here.

Between the lines: Downtown Thursdays replaces the city's Downtown Tuesdays program, which provides free parking at city-owned lots and garages. Downtown Tuesdays will return after the summer series ends.

• City spokesperson Kelly Saunders tells Axios the city shifted the program to summer Thursdays because downtown is typically busier later in the week, making it easier to attract visitors and support local businesses.
• Saunders says the summer pilot will help them gauge demand while tourism is high and families are looking for free or low-cost activities.