Make Music Day adds Life to Downtown

Sometimes the Solstice weather for Make Music Day is not so inviting, but yesterday's was perfect: Sunny, but not hot.

There are plenty of galleries of the main performances spaces and people, so be sure to check them out.

A favorite, which I did not see in person, was this organ. Did you see it?!

via IG

Later, a loud Samba group paraded the sidewalks and alleys.

A mobile fest - via IG

You will have your own favorites.

Here are some other notes, more on things in the cracks between.

Especially with the amphitheater performances, there was more activity on the Minto Bridge than the Union Street Bridge.

Small activity on the Union St. Bridge

But there was a nice pocket of activity at the stage under the Center Street Bridge. The stage was not on the Make Music Day Salem map, and it may have been an interloper. This was my favorite moment, though. The space is usually so barren and dead, at best an occasional campsite. A little later a performance started and there was a nice small crowd of two or three dozen people.

In between performances under the Center St. Bridge

Near Ventis was evidence that sometimes we do need more bike parking downtown.

Overflow bike parking near Ventis

A decade or so ago we may have missed the real window for bike corrals. Now with right-priced on-street parking coming, and the dining platforms already using some of the curb space, it may be more difficult to lobby for improvements to dedicated bike parking.

On the pond in Millrace Park just north of SAIF, a Muscovy duck was in with the Mallards. I hadn't noticed one before, but maybe it's a regular.

A Muscovy duck, pond north of SAIF

But apart from a couple who looked to be in serious conversation on one of the bridges, there were no other people in the park area sitting or strolling. It did not seem to attract people from nearby performances or restaurants.

The general level of activity downtown was pretty great, and a reminder that more housing and more residents would support a higher floor of urban street life. More busking, more sidewalk dining, more strolling. It could be like this more often.