Summer Events in Downtown Appleton are BACK!
A typical summer in Downtown Appleton is bustling with activities and events. Thousands of customers and attendees hit the sidewalks of College Avenue to shop the local stores, dine outside at local eateries, and of course, patronize events like the Downtown Appleton Farm Market and the Heid Music Summer Concert Series on Thursday evenings. After a year of virtual and limited events, Appleton Downtown Inc. (ADI) is excited to announce the return of many of the community’s favorite summer events.
The Downtown Appleton Farm Market will return outside on College Avenue starting Saturday, June 19 from 8:00am-12:30pm and will continue every Saturday morning through October 30. 
“We are excited to welcome back our arts and craft vendors, nonprofit programming, and musicians to the market this summer after 2020 markets being strictly food and produce vendors,” states Jennifer Stephany, executive director of Appleton Downtown Inc. “Hosting the wide variety of products at our market has made it unique and creates a one-of-a-kind experience as you walk the street with access to live music, handmade products, fresh produce, hot foods, and of course, the local small businesses.”
ADI and the City of Appleton’s Health Department continue to work side by side to put in place the necessary regulations to ensure the safety of not only customers at the Downtown Appleton Farm Market, but also the precautions needed for the safety of staff/volunteers and farm market vendors.
Many of the safety precautions that were put in place in 2020 will remain for the 2021 season including social distancing between vendor booths, hand sanitizer stations throughout the event footprint, free masks available at sponsor booths, and encouragement of social distancing.
With the latest update from the CDC stating that fully vaccinated members of the community do not need to wear a mask at indoor or outdoor gatherings of any size, mask wearing will be at the discretion of each individual. If a customer, vendor, or staff is not fully vaccinated, it will be highly encouraged to continue to wear a mask at market.
“As the phases of recovery and regulations continue to evolve, the Downtown Appleton Farm Market will adjust with it,” says Stephany.
Additional resources such as a map/list of vendors will be available on Appleton Downtown’s website in the next few weeks to help customers navigate and plan their visit as best as possible.
LIVE MUSIC: THURSDAYS THIS SUMMER
Live music will make a come back this summer with a few adjustments and additions to provide plenty of opportunities to listen to local acts in the Downtown district each week. Between the Lunchtime Live on the Road series and the Heid Music Summer Concert Series, there will be options for all.
Lunchtime Live on the Road will stick with the new format that began last year during the pandemic and move between outdoor patios for each show! Community members will now be able to enjoy live solo and duo acts on different Downtown business outdoor patios on Thursdays from 11:30am to 1pm starting June 17 to September 30. 
“The structure of moving to a new venue each show was a silver lining from 2020,” shares Jennifer Stephany, ADI executive director. “This allows the community to explore and experience the many outdoor dining establishments, try some new food, and maybe even discover a new favorite, all while enjoying live music in an outdoor setting.”
The start of the line up for the Lunchtime Live series can be found by clicking here - the later weeks will continue to be announced on ADI’s website and Facebook page.
The Heid Music Summer Concert Series will also return this year with a few changes. The series will kick off on Thursday, July 1st and run for 14-weeks, a week longer than past years, through September 30th. The shows will all take place in Jones Park to provide additional space for social distancing.
Stephany says, “We are beyond thrilled to bring our Thursday night concerts back this year! Our district is known for live entertainment and experiences, which were all greatly missed last year. The shows will all be in Jones Park to provide ample room for attendees to enjoy music in an outdoor atmosphere; plus, we can’t wait to utilize the new amphitheater for our shows since we have not hosted a Thursday night concert in Jones Park since construction began a few years back.”
With the recommendations from the local health department and current CDC recommendations, fully vaccinated members of the community do not need to wear a mask at indoor or outdoor gatherings of any size, so mask wearing will be at the discretion of each individual. If a customer, vendor, or staff is not fully vaccinated, it will be highly encouraged to continue to wear a mask at concerts and to continue to practice social distancing from others at the concert in the large venue.
Full band line up for the Heid Music Summer Concert Series can be found by clicking here.