WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (March 5, 2020) – The West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority (DDA), the City of West Palm Beach and Moonfest have come together to make every weekend fun for the whole family by hosting weekly block parties on the 500 block of Clematis Street between Quadrille Boulevard and Rosemary Avenue now through March 22. Every weekend, visitors can enjoy live music, a game zone and themed events between Friday and Sunday.
“The goal of the block parties is to test how successful activating that area as a pedestrian-only street would work,” said Raphael Clemente, Executive Director of the DDA. “We wanted to know how it would affect traffic flow, business revenue and how the public would perceive it.”
The block parties began on January 10 and since that time, the businesses on the 500 block have experienced on average a 20 percent increase in revenue during the weekends. A series of programmed events that include doggy brunch Sundays with adoptable dogs from Big Dog Ranch Rescue, a karaoke competition with a $1,000 grand prize, food competitions, Friday night markets and more also help draw a crowd.
“We’re frequently adding events and activities every weekend to keep up with demand,” said Kristen Dagata, Moonfest Coordinator. “The block has been packed every weekend since the activations began.”
“The key here is to create great public spaces that connect people to each other and to their city,” said Chris Roog, Director of Economic Development for the City of West Palm Beach. “These block parties will only add to the vibrancy of our downtown which makes our city a more attractive place in which to live, work and play.”
In addition to the events, the weekend block parties have a lineup of live music from bands like Free Willies, Spider Cherry, Public Sounds Collective, and My Weekend Therapy. There is also a game zone that includes chess, checkers, ping pong, corn hole and more. The weekly night markets include local artists and specialty food vendors.
The 500 block of Clematis Street closes for pedestrian traffic only every Friday at 5 p.m. and reopens to vehicle traffic on Sundays at 10 p.m. For more information, including a line-up of events, visit 500blk.com.
