Outdoor Evenings Downtown

Yes, the Chamber of Commerce sponsors Hot Harvest Nights each year from May to September on Laurel Street in Downtown San Carlos. It has proven to be quite popular!

Watch for it's return in May.

Emm and Brianmoura,

Thanks for the heads up on Hot Harvest Nights. I had not heard of that before but it sounds fun and I will check i out this summer.

I agree, let's expand on that thought. It could be a nice way to acclimate our community for a permanent downtown change.
I believe we can really have a nice mid-peninsula destination spot if we permanently transform part of Laurel Street into a pedestrian mall. If we can increase our storefront capacity about 5-fold, (mini-mall in Wells Fargo building?), add a parking structure and a walking bridge or something from the railway station, this could really work. We could include some stores that teens would enjoy, extended the outdoor cafe experience a few feet out, permit a few tasteful vendor kiosks and outdoor performers, install benches, some public art and a fountain.
Merchants would be clamoring to open a storefront here (imagine Apple computers, Cody's books, Flax Art, etc.) and shoppers would be spending, spending, spending.
We could really have something unique and interesting. I grew up in a city that did this and now it's a tax revenue gold mine.

I agree that it would be nice to extend the "no-cars" feel of Harvest Nights later into the night... and perhaps even on a Saturday evening.

Jennifer M has a reasonable idea, block Laurel from San Carlos Ave down to Brittan

Hot Harvest night is great, works great as an evening farmers market. But I like adding another evening or expanding this with the restaurants and more sit down opportunities. Great idea Stephan. Would to hear from Mr. Moura how to go about expanding this notion.

This is a nice place to be with your family and have a fun dinner at a nice restaurant...

Concur with all that Hot summer nights is pretty cool, but it does end too early. By the time I get there after work, most stands are packing up.
It would be great to eat and walk around outdoors later into the evening.

Has anyone ever seen the night markets in Asia (esp. Taiwan)?
They're a lot of fun.

Sunnyvale has Music in Downtown all Summer long on Wednesday nights!

Mountain View has Music and festival the 1st Thursday night of each month in the summer!

These are great fun and good times for all. I suggest all cities start such events, to bring the communities together and increase business!

I have to agree with Ice that Hot Harvest Nights would definitely be better if they didn't end so early. Maybe some vendors do need to leave early, but that shouldn't prevent others who would actually prefer to stay later. If the problem is that Thursdays are followed by a workday, how about trying Fridays or Saturdays instead (or as well)? Do the sidewalks have to be rolled up early just because we're on the Peninsula instead of in the City?

P.S.-- I'm 64, not 24, But I still think Hot Harvest Nights end too early.

I agree with all the prior comments about nice, free, sociable evenings, here on the Peninsula. I wish San Mateo had such a thing, perhaps every week! Perhaps there would also be the... What is the French word, for a Most Enjoyable sidewalk-cafe-setting, where singles might even 'acquaint-themselves' with each other? Something like 'couture-de-azure'? I'm probably wrong, as I don't speak French! Anyway, it sounds nice. A free-sociable-environment for singles-of-any-age, along with music and eatables!