Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
If you've wandered Main Street during Open Streets in the past and think you know what to expect, get ready to be surprised and delighted by the new kinds of fun programmed each weekend through October in downtown Salt Lake City.
Imagine an urban golf course, free yoga sessions, a silent disco, muralists, and, yes, lots of free concerts. "We are going to have some fun again on Main Street," Dee Brewer, executive director of the Downtown Alliance said. "It's actually a packed confetti cannon of fun thanks to our BLOCKS team who have curated talented artists and programmers from all across the valley."
But what is Open Streets?
Main Street is open to pedestrians and closed to cars on Fridays and Saturdays so restaurants and shops can spill out onto the sidewalks and humans have the roadway for strolling. The idea to limit cars on Main Street was proposed in the 1960s by city planners who thought the thoroughfare was better used as a "grand pedestrian promenade."
During the pandemic, the idea was dusted off and implemented for safe socializing by the Downtown Alliance and Salt Lake City. People loved it.
This year, Salt Lake City and the Downtown Alliance are upping the ante to bring a fun-for-all, free-for-all, fall edition of Open Streets.
Muralist, artists and musicians on Main
The team at The BLOCKS Art District has reached into artistic communities in the region to wrap Main Street with a creative sheen.
Two muralists have already begun two larger-than-life artworks grounded in their respective love for Salt Lake City.
Free yoga sessions (sponsored by City Creek Center) will be available at Gallivan and Main every Saturday at noon.
Want to hit the links? Play a nine hole urban golf course that will flow down Main Street.
Every Saturday, swing, sway, or salsa at DISCOBOX, a silent disco pop-up at Exchange Place at 7 p.m. And, of course, throughout the festivities, music will be bouncing off the buildings all along Main.
Schedule your fun by checking the Downtown Alliance website, or just wander down on Friday or Saturday afternoons and evenings to discover a new experience.
If you're looking for more art, you can take a colorful walking tour of downtown murals and public art gems with The BLOCKS' Public Art & Mural Trail app. Start your walking tour by downloading the free app or by scanning any QR code on The BLOCKS plaques near 40-plus downtown murals.
Wine and dine
There are more than 170 bars and restaurants downtown and more than 30 on Main Street alone! Two recent openings demonstrate the variety on Main. Aqua Terra at City Creek Center offers fine dining with succulent sushi while the more casual Los Tapatios Taco Grill serves tantalizing tacos until three in the morning!
Shop shop shop!
Some of Salt Lake's most interesting retail experiences are along Main Street. Stop into Edinburgh Castle to find authentic Scottish attire and treats (the hat selection is one-of-a-kind). Or, go on a very eclectic treasure hunt at Utah Book and Magazine — one of Main Street's longest-running businesses. Here is a protip: park at City Creek Center which has two hours of complimentary parking.
Play safe, play courteous!
"Main Street is the family room for our community. It is the place we gather, to have fun, to see each other, to be neighbors," Britney Helmers, director of The BLOCKS said. "This Friday and Saturday, we welcome all to enjoy Open Streets."
