This year’s event will have free admission and will last two days from 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Like many festivals and events previously canceled or modified due to the coronavirus pandemic, Main Street Fest will not sport its usual carnival rides or arts and crafts vendors. Instead, this year's event will focus on the Main Street businesses and highlight a few local nonprofits.
Grapevine Chamber of Commerce CEO RaDonna Hessel said the festival's smaller scale is a result of the previous gathering limits set in place by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. By the time the restrictions were lifted, it was too late to make changes, she said.
Hessel said the chamber tried to add the carnival once the gathering restrictions were lifted. But a year of not operating forced the group in charge of carnival rides to update all licenses, which Hessel said could not be done in time.
“I'm still trying to be conservative with COVID[-19] and not encouraging huge massive crowds. So it'll be a little bit laid back,” Hessel said.
Live music will remain part of the festivities, but instead of having larger bands, entertainment will be spread out across several outdoor locations, including Liberty Park, the Gazebo and Grapevine Main Station.
Hessel said the more laid-back aspect of the festival resembles the earlier Main Street Fests, which were held within one block before expanding across the downtown area over the years.
“It's kind of a throwback event where you're supporting and encouraging people to come to Main Street, but it's also an opportunity for everybody to kind of get back into the mindset of doing a festival,” she said.
