ZIONSVILLE, Ind. — At the beginning of June, the Zionsville Chamber of Commerce launched “Night on the Bricks,” a huge event every Thursday night from 5 to 9 p.m. to support local restaurants and businesses.
“This is a fantastic event that was created as a result of the COVID crisis to make sure that our fantastic restaurants and retailers stay in business,” said Allyson Gutwein, the executive director of the Zionsville Chamber of Commerce. “It's a dining-in-the-street experience here in Zionsville. People can come out and literally dine on our historic brick streets."
Each Thursday, Main Street in downtown Zionsville is closed from Pine to Cedar streets, and covered tables are situated on the brick-laden boulevard. People have been coming from all over the state, bringing their own folding chairs, ordering out from local restaurants and enjoying an evening of outside dining while responsibly social distancing.
"Our tables are spaced out, but we're also putting plastic tablecloths on the tables, and then removing those, sanitizing the tables and putting another tablecloth on before another group comes and sits down," Gutwein said. "There's not a lot of turnover. People come sit with their friends and are here a lot of the evening, which is wonderful.”
Gutwein said she got the idea from a small town in Italy, and it has become a massive success in Zionsville. The plan was to use Night on the Bricks to keep the small businesses that line Zionsville’s Main Street from closing down because of coronavirus restrictions.
“We have artists out, as well as musicians, and we see people who are just here enjoying all of the things that Zionsville has to offer,” Gutwein said. “People love it, and our store owners have been really, really responsive.”
It’s been such a massive success, they’re already starting to make plans to continue this community event next summer as well.
“It has been so much fun to be down here on the bricks and be involved in the event and see friends and neighbors and people coming out and having a really good time," said Leigh Ann Akard, one of the family owners of Akard Village Hardware. "We brought in a local artist last week who was painting during the night, and we've brought in some local vendors in our store, so it's just been fun to to get creative."
Night on the Bricks take place every Thursday night from 5 to 9 p.m. through the end of July.