Summer in Rochester means festivals once again.
The Lilac Festival will help kick things off on Friday. But on Tuesday, the focus was on what’s coming up downtown, and some new and returning events meant to bring people back to the center city.
The series is branded as Downtown Definitely.
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra will give a starlit concert. There will be midday breaks with food, music and lawn games. Artists will paint murals on storefront windows in the Midtown district and East End. Outdoor movies return. A fall festival will have carnival games, even a zip line to Parcel 5.
“When we put these events together, we wanted to hit on something that we need more of, and that's people walking around on the streets, some more street vitality -- boots on the ground,” said Bella Events Group’s Jenna Knauf, one of the organizers.
Mayor Malik Evans says Rochester needs these 'boots on the ground.'
“This is not just about fun and entertainment, it is important,” Evans said. “But this has a real economic impact to our city. … These events say that Rochester is thriving. But more importantly it says that we are open for business.”
The Center City continues to transform. But repurposing buildings, and filling those buildings with people, is not enough. Bringing the downtown alive requires activity on the street, officials said. And in giving people a reason to come downtown, the hope is to showcase how that downtown is changing.
“Sometimes people don't understand what they don't know,” said Khadija Yawn with Roc Royal, who is producing the event series with Knauf. Some of this is “just getting out and walking around and really seeing that Rochester is beautiful.”
These events are a preview of what is to come with a newly formed public-private partnership envisioned to develop into downtown management entity. Artist and community arts organizer Shawn Dunwoody is on the board.
“This is a great collaborative moment showing how we can come together to stimulate the creative economy,” Dunwoody said.
“That's what's important to this region,” he continued. “How do we stimulate the creative economy, from culinary arts, to music to digital arts.”
Also on the Downtown Definitely schedule:
- Market Place on July 30, featuring feature local makers of clothing, jewelry and other products to both sell their wares and teach patrons how to make some of the items.
- Eat Up Roc, running Sept. 8-18, will ask area restaurants to create dishes aligned with a certain theme. Patrons will be entered into a contest for prizes.
- Lantern Parade on Dec. 3 will build on the Liberty Pole lighting at parade to MLK Park ice rink inviting patrons to visit various business and make their own lanterns to illuminate their trek.
All events are free and open to the public. Organizers have created a community calendar both to promote what’s coming up, and for other community groups to add their own.
