Shoppers, diners and pets occupy the sidewalks during the 2024 sidewalk sales in downtown Escanaba. Saturday's Downtown Day event similarly aims to attract community members to the main streets of Gladstone, Escanaba and other Michigan towns. (R. R. Branstrom | Daily Press file photo)

Delta County’s two cities this year both have climbed on board with the Michigan Downtown Association’s Downtown Day, set for Saturday.

Gladstone is hosting a celebration with vendors, live music, food and activities on Delta Avenue and in the farmers’ market square. Escanaba’s event will look different; instead of closing the street, the city’s Downtown Development Authority has encouraged people to visit not only Ludington Street but one remote destination for a beloved downtown staple temporarily displaced.

This is the sixth consecutive year the MDA, founded in 1980 to help grow the state’s downtown communities, has declared the fourth Saturday in September to be “Downtown Day.” Both Escanaba and Gladstone are MDA members and are participating — Escanaba for the first time, Gladstone for the second.

“There are many opportunities for Michigan residents to support downtowns, like strolling sidewalks, having a picnic in a park, enjoying a Social District, purchasing goods from a retailer or leaving a positive review for a small business on social media,” the MDA stated, encouraging community members to visit a downtown Saturday to “enjoy its shops, restaurants, and recreational and cultural aspects.”

Gladstone has organized an event with more than 60 vendors, Downtown ambassador Samantha Gaudino said. Many will fill Delta Avenue, but the Gladstone farmers’ market square, usually buzzing Mondays, will host market vendors Saturday as well.

The Make-Believe Spurs will play live music outside of Saunders Point Brewing during the event.

“Our goal with Downtown Day is to create a collective space to gather and celebrate our local artisans, organizations and businesses, all while showing off the incredible community of people and atmosphere we have within downtown Gladstone,” Gaudino said.

In addition to booths out for the street fair, many businesses will offer special deals outside and in, including Dew Drop Family Restaurant, Gladstone Dairy Flo, Lavender Co., St. Vincent de Paul, Old Glory Firearms, Sip 906 and more.

In Escanaba, DDA Director Craig Woerpel compared the occasion to other events such as Spoil Mom Week and Sidewalk Sales — a few on the docket of promotional events with the goal of boosting downtown traffic and encouraging people to patronize the shops and restaurants around them.

“Whether it’s going to eat, whether it’s going to shop, whether it’s going to a theater or art gallery — the idea is just to insert yourself into what a downtown is all about,” said Woerpel, acknowledging that the various participating municipalities in Michigan were likely to have different spins on Downtown Day.

The DDA provided a list of suggestions for those visiting Escanaba on Saturday. From 9 a.m. to noon, the farmers’ market should be in full swing with sales of produce, baked goods and artwork at the Escanaba Marketplace. At 1 p.m., the Escanaba Public Library will host a themed storytime and craft for children age 5 through 12, handled by the Escanaba High School’s Robomos and Technomos. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., East Ludington Gallery may be providing an artist demonstration. In the evening, Players de Noc’s first stage play of the season shows at 7:30 p.m. at the Besse Theater at Bay College, since their usual home at the William Bonifas Fine Arts Center still needs repairs after the fire this spring. However, the gallery portion of the Bonifas is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and has two exhibits on display.

“Michigan downtowns distinguish a community, are the drivers of economic development, and contribute significantly to the quality of life of residents,” read a part of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s proclamation to recognize Downtown Day in its first year. “A downtown is the commercial core of a community that serves as its social and economic center … The small businesses located within a downtown create jobs, commerce, and investment. (They) rely on the support of community members.”

Said the MDA: “Downtown Day brings positive attention and recognition to small businesses and downtown cores.”