The Roaring 2020s never really got off the ground.
Thank you for that, COVID-19.
But as we move into what everyone hopes will be a post-COVID era, Sault Ste. Marie's Downtown Association is planning more than a dozen Roaring Twenties events before year's end, including two street parties this summer.
Here, as released at last night's monthly meeting of the Downtown Association, is what they're planning in 2022.
Mark your calendars!
Easter Egg Hunt
April 1-16
Coloured eggs will be located in storefront windows for a chance for participants to win a $50 or $25 downtown gift card
Where: Pim-Dennis St.
Will the street close: no
Spring Clean-up
May 14
11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Volunteers and staff get together for a day of weed-pulling and beautification tasks to begin the spring season
Where: Pim-Dennis St.
Will the street close: no
Sidewalk Sale
May 28
11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Businesses put out sidewalk sales throughout the downtown core
Where: Pim-Dennis St.
Will the street close: no
Longest Garage Sale
June 11
11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
The general public, vendors, and businesses set up tables with items for sale for the “world’s longest garage sale”
Where: Pim-Dennis St.
Will the street close: no
Summer Moon Fest
June 18 – 26
Community art project featuring large-scale murals painted downtown
Where: Pim-Dennis St.
Will the street close: no
Poutine Feast
June 30 – July 3
Thursday to Saturday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Sunday 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Four-day festival at the Ermatinger-Clergue National Historic Site with poutine, kids games, live music and more
Where: Ermatinger-Clergue National Historic Site
Will the street close: no, but the Heritage Square parking lot will be closed
Street Party #1
July 14
4 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Evening festival on Queen Street. Local beer, kids games, live music, and more
Where: Pim-Spring St.
Will the street close: yes
Street Party #2
August 11
4 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Evening festival on Queen Street. Local beer, kids games, live music, and more
Where: Spring-Dennis St.
Will the street close: yes
Sidewalk Sale
August 27
11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Businesses put out sidewalk sales throughout the downtown core
Where: Pim-Dennis St.
Will the street close: no
Greyhound Opener
Date to be determined
4 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Three-hour ‘tailgate’ style party
prior to the game opener of the Soo Greyhounds.
Where: Bruce-Dennis St.
Will the street close: yes
Sidewalk sale
September 24
11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Businesses put out sidewalk sales throughout the downtown core
Where: Pim-Dennis St.
Will the street close: no
Halloween on Queen
October 29
2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Trick or treating on Queen and pet costume contest
Where: Pim-Dennis St.
Will the street close: no
Moonlight Magic
November 17
4 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Tree lighting ceremony, hot chocolate, smores, pictures with Santa, late-night shopping and more
Where: Pim-Dennis St.
Will the street close: yes
Other kibbles and bits from last night's monthly meeting of the Downtown Association:
- in an ongoing attempt to become more pooch-friendly, the association will ask the city to provide Queen Street businesses with the same dog-dropping bags made available on the boardwalk. Association director Paul Mason, who owns a ginormous dog named Chewy, has been hounding the board to make Queenstown more welcoming to canines. "I see them on the Hub Trail in my area a lot, but it would be great to have them downtown," Mason barked
- the Ontario Business Improvement Area Association (OBIAA) is reportedly very much interested in hosting its annual conference in Sault Ste. Marie in 2024, just in time to show off our new downtown plaza. But there's a catch. "The biggest hurdle right now," executive director Salvatore Marchese told his board, "is that they're hurting a little bit from last couple of years, as most non-profits are. Their biggest concern is that when they've traditionally held one of these events in the north, their revenues have declined significantly." Marchese said the provincial association is asking Sault Ste. Marie to find some way of offsetting the additional costs of holding a conference in the north. Or alternatively, to consider hosting the event in 2025 instead, "to give them the opportunity to rebuild some funds," Marchese said. OBIAA will be approached to determine how much extra revenue they'd need to hold a successful conference in the Sault, and whether our community is in a position to provide it
- the association's annual general meeting will be held today at Soo Blaster