BROOKINGS The downtown area will be awash with activities on June 28, when the second annual Brookings Bonanza takes place. Originally called Crazy Days, the event was rebranded last year to emphasize a celebratory rather than bargain-hunting spirit.
Previously, Crazy Days was very much for people to get rid of leftover inventory things in storage that didnt sell, Kirsten Gjesdal, executive director of Downtown Brookings, said. Its just not how most businesses are run now, so it wasnt providing the benefit to retailers like it was originally intended. So what we did was switch to a more community celebration vibe. Its a street fair festival.
She said they counted 6,000 attendees last year and are hoping for similarly sized crowds this Saturday.
Well have two blocks of Main Ave. and two blocks of Fourth St. closed off, Gjesdal said. The farmers market runs 9 a.m. to noon in one section. Then the street fair which runs up and down Main Ave. is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with visiting and local vendors selling all sorts of wares. We have live music. Phil Baker will be there in the morning, followed by Matt Gauger and then AJ the Band. Theyll all perform leading up to the big performance the Brookings Fire Department street dance, which starts at 7 p.m.
Therell be various games and activities as well.
Well do a duck race where kids can use spray bottles to race their rubber duckies down the line, Gjesdal said. We have a bike blender that you run by pedaling and it makes chalk paint. That was popular last year decorating the ground with chalk paint you made yourself. Well do some hula hooping to see who can hula hoop the longest and win a prize. Well have lawn games, a petting zoo and a whole mini-golf course set up. We also have big coloring pages and a big Brookings-themed crossword puzzle thats going to be hung up around downtown. Anyone can come along and fill-in the crossword or do some coloring.
This years kidpreneur market featuring a record-number of youth vendors will also take place.
Theres 29 booths representing 40 different kids some booths have a group of two or four kids teamed up, Gjesdal said. They will be all throughout the closed-off street area selling different products. Its going to be so much fun. They have all kinds of things to sell.
A mural-painting event is also planned.
Back in 2023, we did a community mural with the Brookings Arts Council thats the beautiful skyline behind Nicks Hamburgers on the Brookings Register building, Gjesdal said. This year, were doing a community mural a paint-by-numbers thats set up on panels. Its free to participate in, and no art experience is needed. Well go back in and kind of polish it up afterwards. The plan is for it to be about eight feet high by 12 feet wide, and the panels will go up on the backside of ID8 Architecture in the alley.
Admission to the street fair is free. Tickets are required for the Fire Department street dance and are $10 per couple in-advance or $10 per person at the gate. Much of downtown will be closed to traffic throughout Saturday.
Ill be here at 4:45 a.m. to put up the roadblocks, because the street normally opens to parking at 5 a.m., Gjesdal said. Then the streets will re-open in phases. Once the farmers market is done, that part opens. Once the Brookings Bonanzas done, everything but the Cubbys block opens. Traffic will be back to normal around 1 a.m. on Sunday after the Fire Department street dance is done.
She said theyre still looking for some help on Saturday.
We are looking for volunteers, Gjesdal said. If anyone is available, wed appreciate some help with things like hanging up flags early in the morning, directing vendors, helping run some activities or helping with cleanup afterwards.
To volunteer or just to see a schedule of events visit downtownbrookings.com.
Contact Jay Roe at [email protected].
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