LOYAL. LOCAL. COMPLETE.
The Paris Improvement Organization (PIO) is set to launch a new community event this summer that promises fun, food and live music for the whole family. Union Street Market and Music will debut Saturday June 7, and continue on the first Saturday of each month through the summer season.
Union Street, located directly behind the Prospect Community Foundation Amphitheater, will be blocked off for each event to create a safe, walkable space where residents and visitors can shop, dine and enjoy a selection of vendors and entertainment.
“We want to bring life back to the area,” PIO spokesperson Callie Keys Cannady said. “We’re reaching out to families, not just people coming to hear a band. We want to bring people together.”
According to Keys Cannady, the vendors at the market will vary each weekend. Offering everything from handmade goods and boutique items to flowers, baked treats, clothing and photography. The first weekend is expected to host around a dozen vendors, with plans to expand and change throughout the season.
“We want it to be a market, not a festival, so we are trying to do at least one food truck at each one too,” she said. “We’re trying to hit a little bit of everything and we want to utilize as many local vendors as possible, but we are also reaching out to the Wabash Valley and surrounding towns too.”
Neighboring businesses like Frosted by Maddie and Stagecoach Coffee plan to stay open during the event as well, offering guests even more ways to shop and support the growing downtown area.
Attendees to the market are also encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets and enjoy live music at the amphitheater, where local musicians will take the stage and fill the square with tunes.
“When it comes to bands, we’re also trying to use as many local musicians as possible,” Keys Cannady said. “The amphitheater space is so friendly and inviting—it’s a perfect place to hang out.”
Ultimately, Keys Cannady said the goal of the market is the same as all other PIO projects, to revitalize Paris.
“We want to bring people together,” she said. “We hope that we can help create a safe, happy and enjoyable space for friends, family and everyone else in between.”
For more information or vendor inquiries, contact the Paris Improvement Organization or visit their social media pages.