HYANNIS – There were no cars on Hyannis Main Street Saturday afternoon, but there sure were lots of people.
Officials blocked off most of the main drag to cars for four hours, while shoppers and spectators walked the length of the road as patrons of the street’s plentiful shops and explorers of the day’s crosswalk vendors.
It was the second time this year the street banished vehicles for the benefit of recreationists and businesses. The first Hyannis Open Streets took place on September 25th and was attended by around 7,000 people.
The idea for Open Streets came to Jane Walsh, owner of the store Red Fish Blue Fish, as a way to bring the community together in a family-friendly way.
“Everybody’s been very pleased with it from a business standpoint,” she said. “They love the opportunity to show what they have to the locals, and you just can’t get that kind of exposure this time of year.”
Walsh said there was a range of involvement from the shop owners, many of whom sponsored the day’s events.
Aselton Park was turned into a kid-friendly obstacle course, while each of the cross walks and a few of the storefronts had special tables filled with activities like face painting and prize winning contests.
Participants also had a veritable buffet of lunch options to choose from, as most of Main Street’s restaurants were open and cranking out a diverse set of dishes.
Walsh said she plans on partnering with the Greater Hyannis Civic Association and Hyannis Main Street business Improvement District once again in the near future to put on another Open Streets event.
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