You’ll soon be able to enjoy a laid back summer vibe and soak up the ambiance of Front Street.
Fridays on Front is returning for its second year, featuring food trucks, vendors selling artisan goods, live music and a chance to enjoy a glass of beer or wine while meandering along the street. It takes place every Friday from 5 to 9 p.m. from July 6 to Aug. 24 in the 600 block of Front Street.
“We are super excited to be bringing it back this year. We felt the love last year,” said Kendra Johnston, executive director of the Downtown New Westminster BIA. “We are excited to up our game and try and give people what they want this year with more, more, more.”
Following last year’s inaugural run, organizers surveyed folks to see what they thought of Fridays on Front. In response to that feedback, Fridays on Front has extended its offerings by an hour and added more breweries to the mix.
“That was the theme of the feedback – more, more, more,” Johnston said. “More choices, more things, more time.”
Pacific Breeze will be back serving wine at this year’s event and Steel & Oak Brewery returns with its popular brews.
“We have guest breweries coming in – they are rotating every week,” Johnston said. “Steel & Oak will be the main brewery, as it’s obviously our well-loved hometown brewery, but we’ve got a different brewery coming in each week to offer some more options for beverages.”
Dageraad Brewing kicks things off on July 6, but Parkside Brewery (July 13), Central City Brewers + Distillers (July 20), Moody Ales (July 27), Yellow Dog Brewing (Aug. 3), Four Winds Brewing Co. (Aug. 10) and Twin Sails Brewing (Aug. 17) will also be pouring at Fridays on Front.
In addition to enjoying a variety of entertainers, food trucks and vendors, attendees will be able to stroll the street – checking out local businesses and enjoying the relaxed waterfront vibe.
“It worked really well. People would come by, spend an hour, have a beer and then go off somewhere, have dinner, take a walk or whatnot,” Johnston said. “It’s a different vibe than our larger street festivals. I think the businesses liked that because they felt they could make some real connections with locals.”
According to the BIA, last year’s Fridays on Front saw an average of 2,500 people each week.
“I would say the vibe is relaxed, fun and very local. It really felt, and what we could tell from the feedback is. it was 80 per cent local people that came, which is also different from our large-scale events,” Johnston said. “It really became a destination for locals on a Friday night, a place to start your evening, meet up with friends. It was fun.”
