This Saturday was the first of many where a popular downtown thoroughfare is shut down to vehicle traffic in an effort to pedestrianize the area temporarily.
Open Air Dunlop kicked off Saturday in Barrie for its second entire season. The program, which sees Dunlop Street from Mulcaster to Maple Avenue closed, first started as a pilot in 2020 in an effort to support businesses struggling with strong COVID-19 restrictions.
“It started out both for the businesses as a way to draw people down and also for the citizens of Barrie,” says Sarah Jensen, the chair of the Downtown Barrie BIA. “Especially during the pandemic, everyone was so isolated, giving everyone a chance to come out and lots of public space to walk around and wave and see each other.”
Now in its third year and the second entire season, the program has continued to expand to include new offerings. This year they have children’s activities, an urban sketching club and music at 2 pm
“We recently installed our public piano in the square, so that really helps us animate the space,” says Jensen. “As well, we’ll be doing a few art projects throughout the summer, so you’ll be seeing some more murals.”
Open Air Dunlop will be running for at least 20 Saturdays this season, up from 18 in 2021.