It’s party time this weekend in downtown Chatham.
The Historic Downtown Chatham BIA (HDC BIA)is running Meet Your Merchants on King Street West between Fourth and Fifth streets.
The event, running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 24, will see that portion of King Street closed down to host the event.
The BIA’s Kaitlin Goulet said more than 30 vendors are taking part. There will be live music from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. A face painter will be on hand for the kids. There will be corn hole games and other activities as well.
Family Service Kent will also have space to discuss what services it offers to the community.
Goulet said Meet the Merchants evolved out of conversations with downtown businesses.
“We were talking about how to get more people downtown,” she said. “Every other community is doing markets either monthly or weekly.”
The HDC BIA started with a sidewalk sale in July, but Goulet said participation was low.
“This time, we have more people interested in doing it,” she said. “I listened to the businesses’ direction as much as possible.”
The stretch between Fourth and Fifth streets is where the highest concentration of interested businesses lie, Goulet said, but any BIA member can take part.
She added this will not be a one-and-done event.
“We’re hoping to make it a monthly thing,” she said.
Wish they had those sidewalk sales they had when I was younger!