Santa Rosa businesses, entertainment groups celebrate launch of downtown block party plan

Santa Rosa businesses and entertainment groups are launching a new downtown block-party pilot called Ross Street Live, after nearly a year of negotiations. The program runs from Aug. 14 through Oct. 31, closing part of Ross Street to traffic for live music and local food as a smaller test of broader efforts to improve walkability and downtown vibrancy. The three-month pilot will close a section of the block behind The Corner Store Collective to Mendocino Avenue and include a stage, food trucks, cornhole and ping-pong, seating, and public restrooms. Different food trucks will operate during the week, with live music on Friday and Saturday nights, and markets and family activities on Sundays. The initiative is supported by SoCo Market, the City of Santa Rosa, and the Downtown Action Organization, which manages the Downtown Santa Rosa Community Benefit District. The DAO’s executive director Cadance Hinkle Allison said it will bring together local entertainment and dining stakeholders.