Food, music and a closed North Pleasant Street were the draws downtown.
Adam and Lara Lussier, owners of the women's clothing store Zanna, dance on the ledge to the music at the Amherst Block Part on North Pleasant Street Thursday evening.AMHERST - Tom Flynn and Patrick Lavelly were strolling down the middle of North Pleasant Street wearing stickers that read “Eight More Beds.”
The pair had been having people sign a petition supporting shelter officials who want to add eight new beds to the 16-bed shelter. But they were on a break now and just enjoying the first ever block party.
“Look at the smiles,” Flynn said looking around at the thousands who filled the street.
“There are a lot of families. It’s nice to see the little kids,” Lavelly said.
The party was the first major event put on by the newly formed Business Improvement District and seen as a way to welcome back students to link “students and the town’s people on a positive note downtown,” said Barry L. Roberts who helped the lead the move to create the district.
Fear of mosquito-borne viruses did not keep people away. Hundreds upon hundreds of people strolled the street that for four hours was closed to traffic.
Amherst is considered at high risk for illnesses borne by mosquitos and nighttime events had been cancelled. But the town had two stations dispensing insect repellent and many brought their own.
Music bookended the street fair –disc jockeys in the Peter Pan Futurliner, a bus that opens up to a stage spun tunes at one end, and bands like Rusty Belle entertained on the WRSI stage at Kendrick Park.
The street far offered all kinds of cuisine, Indian, Mexican, pizza, sushi, frozen yogurt among the dozens of offerings.
Mary Olberding, the democratic candidate for Hampshire Register was there with Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan. Sullivan was there to promote “It’s Your Call: A Conference for Student Leaders on Changing the Culture of Underage and Destructive Drinking on Campuses” to be held at the University of Massachusetts Wednesday night.
The League of Women Voters of Amherst was there were registering people to vote. The Amherst College men’s and women’s basketball teams were helping little ones shoot hoops.
Filmmakers Sari Gagnon, and Producer Matt Heron-Duranti were filming street scenes for their documentary called “Homeless in a College Town.” “We’re setting the stage, showing the culture,” Heron-Duranti said. They expect to wrap filming when the homeless shelter here opens Nov. 1.
Lisa Cain and her children Alex, 6, and Ruby 8, were watching the stilt walker and juggler. Cain said she doesn’t usually attend the annual Taste of Amherst held in June on the Town Common but she said was drawn here for several reason.
“Shutting down the street, that’s new. It was the time of day.” Her kids eat at 6 p.m. so the timing was perfect. “The library was having a book sale.”
As part of the event the Jones Library was running a sale on used books. And Ruby was happy eating a California Roll.
Closing down North Pleasant Street “it changes the hole feel of the down. The whole street is a playground,” said David Mazor, who was the head of the improvement district marketing arm.
Mirelle O’Connor, a sophomore from UMass was there with three of her friends. They were going to volunteer and were looking for their station but taking the time to enjoy some frozen yogurt from Go Berry. “I really like it. We’re struck on campus all the time,” she said.
“It’s a way to explore and see all the businesses,” said fellow sophomore Richard Pho.