Open Streets is back on Main for car-free June weekends in downtown Salt Lake City.
Walking on Sunshine
By Benjamin Wood @BjaminWood
Downtown Salt Lake City will shed thousands of pounds of cold steel in June, with the return of Open Streets swapping noisy, pollution-spewing car traffic for four blocks of music, art, dining and shopping on Main Street.
The city announced Monday that Fridays and Saturdays in June will see Main Street closed to car traffic from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. between 400 South and South Temple. In place of vehicles, the street will function as a pedestrian promenade and transit corridor, with live performances, sidewalk dining and other programming activating the sidewalks.
“There’s something special about watching Main Street come to life during Open Streets—a mix of people, music, food and the unmistakable sense that downtown belongs to all of us,” Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall said in a prepared statement. “It reflects our values of connection and creativity, and it reminds us that when we design our streets for people, we create space for community to thrive.”
Launched during the COVID-19 pandemic as a social-distancing friendly boost to downtown business, Open Streets has become an annual proving ground for the eventual, permanent pedestrianization of Main Street in the downtown core. And while that effort has notably ebbed and flowed—last summer's edition consisted of a single-block closure on two weekends—plans for 2025 appear as robust as anything that organizers have yet attempted.
In addition to returning to a full-month, four-block-long format, this year's Open Streets will also see each segment of Main Street themed and programmed as a particular entertainment zone. A "family commons" will anchor the block between South Temple and 100 South, with the 100 block hosting an "arts avenue," the 200 block laid out like a "village market" and the 300 block showcasing "restaurant row," with special outdoor dining and drink options from downtown businesses.
Those themed zones will be supported and activated by community partners like City Creek, Gallivan Center, Eccles Theater, Deseret News and Salt Lake City Weekly.
"It’s always exciting to see the city transform into a walkable celebration of the best in arts, culture and entertainment,” said City Weekly publisher Pete Saltas. “Events like this are what make downtown feel special."
Cross streets running through Main will remain open during the event, allowing access to all of the public parking garages in downtown. Trax and other transit services are unaffected by the exclusion of private vehicles—with two train stations operating directly within the Open Streets footprint—and all of downtown is covered by a Free Fare Zone.
City plans have called for the removal of cars from Main Street for more than 60 years.
"There’s nothing like seeing Main Street packed with people—the street feels alive, and we take pride in welcoming both familiar faces and new ones," said Jason Lecates, owner of Whiskey Street and White Horse. "We’ll be here when you’re ready to stop by.”
About The Author
Benjamin Wood
Lifelong Utahn Benjamin Wood has worn the mantle of City Weekly's news editor since 2021. He studied journalism at Utah State University and previously wrote for The Salt Lake Tribune, the Deseret News and Entertainment Weekly
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