Two Downtown Beer Gardens
Open This Month
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Our friends from The Grid recently reopened their popular Beer Garden on Franklin Street on May 18, which will be followed by the May 26 launch of Harpoon’s new Worcester Beer Garden on Mercantile Plaza. Harpoon’s interest in Worcester comes as no surprise; founder Dan Kenary grew up just over a mile from his new venture in the Heart of the Commonwealth. Reunion Tap and Table, based out of Grafton, will be responsible for Harpoon’s Worcester operations.
Photo credits: Worcester Beer Garden and Harpoon Worcester Beer Garden
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Window Displays Signify
Beauty and Community
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Local artists Sharinna Travieso and Amanda Santerre have brought their unique talents Downtown to 22 Portland Street and 15 Salem Street, respectively. The artists installed their window displays earlier this month, which will remain available for viewing through September 2022. Travieso says her piece, Butterfly Effect, is inspired by her love for nature and passion for creating eco-friendly art that stimulates the community. “For those who look through the glass, this piece is a reminder that even the smallest changes we make can affect who we are and how we overcome our fears and doubts, which appear smaller the higher we rise above them. From afar, you see a word surrounded by floating colors, but up close, the butterflies serve as a delicate reminder of the beauty of life and nature.”
Kaleidoscope, Santerre’s work, also uses butterflies to emphasize togetherness. “The butterflies are a visual representation of what is capable when we come together as a community,” she explains. “I opened the call to create to everyone, young and old and provided free materials for anyone who might want them. There were three locations to drop off finished butterflies: C.C. Lowell Art Supply, Burncoat Center for Arts and Wellness, and Tide Pool Books. The colorful butterflies were sourced through involvement from the Worcester community, and each one was created by a different person. Within the hundreds of butterflies, each one is unique, and they represent coming together and creating the strong community that I believe Worcester has.”
The Downtown Worcester Business Improvement District (BID) was grateful to receive a $5k grant from Worcester Arts Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, to make this project possible.
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Prepare for Tercentennial Weekend |
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Worcester’s Tercentennial Weekend kicks off on Friday, June 10, with a Canal District Stroll, followed by a jaw-dropping public fireworks display at Polar Park, featuring the National Anthem performed by Ricky Duran, local star of The Voice.
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On Saturday, June 11, the excitement hits Downtown with a road race, parade, and community festival taking place throughout the morning and afternoon. The race will lead runners on a course that includes Mechanic Street, Main Street, Southbridge Street, Myrtle Street, McGrath Boulevard, Green Street, Plymouth Street, Summit Street, Ash Street, Washington Street, Madison Street, and Southbridge Street at 9 a.m.
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The parade will cover Prescott Street, Faraday Street, Grove Street, Salisbury Street, and Main Street, beginning at 11 a.m. All municipal garages will be open and free for the entire weekend, including Major Taylor, Pearl-Elm, Worcester Common, Union Station, and Federal Plaza.
The Downtown Worcester (BID) encourages Downtown organizations and businesses to participate by downloading the logo toolkit and submitting events to the collective calendar that promotes the event. Restaurants are encouraged to offer themed menu items and/or specials, which can also be submitted to the event committee here.
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Public Participation in the Complete Streets Prioritization Plan |
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Please consider completing a short survey to help City officials prioritize street improvements. Respondents can show where they believe improvements are needed by indicating priority locations on a map. Take a moment to leave your comments on pedestrian and bike safety, ADA accessibility, street trees, street lighting, transit improvements, traffic calming, and flooding issues.
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Andrew McShane is BID’s First
Leadership Worcester Grad
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We are proud to celebrate BID Program Manager Andrew McShane’s graduation as a member of the Leadership Worcester Class of 2022. Andrew has been a pivotal member of the BID team since February 2020, and the organization is invested in his growth. Leadership Worcester’s class met monthly over nine months to hear and learn from influential leaders in various industries throughout the City who discussed topics such as education, public safety, arts & culture, economic development, and urban sustainability. Leadership Worcester is sponsored by the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce. The program has produced a number of key local leaders, including Worcester’s Acting City Manager, Eric Batista. If you are interested in learning more or applying for Leadership Worcester, you can do so here.
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Thanks to Design Intern, Zach Cyr |
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Our Spring 2022 graphic design intern Zach Cyr hails from New Milford, Connecticut. His internship with the BID was a final requirement to graduate from Fitchburg State this month with a bachelor’s degree in Communications Media, Graphic Design concentration. Zach said his decision to work at the BID was “because of all the great things they contribute to Downtown Worcester, where I can be a part of helping the community.” He helped promote Downtown Worcester businesses and activities through social media, created window decals for our ‘Through the Glass’ window displays, designed rack cards to highlight local businesses and attractions, and selected branded items for the organization’s vendor table. He is currently on the hunt for a full-time advertising position based on his excellence in layout design. Prospective employers can check out his portfolio here.
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April 1 marked the start of our spring and summer schedule, from 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., seven days per week. Spring cleaning operations included pressure washing sidewalks, painting utility boxes, weeding, and leaf-blowing, as well as continuous focus on trash and graffiti removal. The Downtown Worcester Ambassadors’ “clean team” worked over 800 hours to beautify Downtown in April, collectively removing nearly 4,000 pounds of trash, 30 instances of graffiti, and 12,000 cigarette butts. The Ambassadors performed over 970 business checks and cleaned 3,500 block faces (one side of a block) last month alone. |
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The focus of our Instagram page is to highlight the businesses and people of Downtown Worcester. Follow our page for our shop local/eat local series, community event announcements, did you know facts, and Downtown history.
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