Downtown Boca invites the South Florida community to be part of the celebratory kick-off for the inaugural Meet Me On The Promenade: Downtown Boca — a two-night, one-day fest to explore Downtown Boca’s best — by participating in the debut of the “Official” Downtown Boca Bop Community Line Dance that has been choreographed by Fred Astaire Dance Studio-Boca Raton to celebrate the new generation Downtown Boca on Friday, October 21, 2011 at 6 p.m.
All area residents, businesses (large and small) and their employees, business associations, nonprofit memberships, schools and university student bodies, sports teams and cheerleaders are encouraged to don their organizations’ branded t-shirts and come out and show their spirit and support of Downtown Boca by participating in the Official Downtown Boca Bop community line dance. Hundreds are expected to join in the fun and be part of this fun, family friendly all-inclusive community opening ceremony in and about Sanborn Square — at the heart of the Promenade — as together they will dance through the Promenade led by the Fred Astaire Dance Studio instructors and community dance leaders. A $500 prize will be given to the school with the most participation; must have at least 25 students, parents, teachers and supporters wearing their school shirts to be eligible. To register groups, businesses and organizations in advance for premium positions, visit www.downtownboca.org and click on the Promenade icon link.
To learn and practice at home, work or school, Downtown Boca Boppers can take video lessons posted at downtownboca.org, Downtown Boca Facebook, YouTube and www.bocadance.com. An open-to-the-public dress rehearsal for anyone who wants to participate in the Downtown Boca Bop begins at 5:00 p.m. with line-up beginning at 5:30 p.m. and dance to commence at 6 p.m. immediately following ribbon-cutting festivities for the new Pedestrian Promenade. Click here to register groups, businesses and organizations in advance for premium positions for the Boca Bop. Live entertainment and interactive family activities will follow in Sanborn Square with the popular Gourmet Truck Expo “serving up” curbside, and after parties at Dubliner Irish Restaurant & Bar featuring live music by the Tolerance Band, Biergarten and Platforms Dance Club.
ABOUT MEET ME ON THE PROMENADE: DOWNTOWN BOCA
Meet Me On The Promenade: Downtown Boca celebrates the recent completion the City of Boca Raton CRA’s $5 million enhancement program and new Downtown Boca Pedestrian Promenade that has created a new destination hub at its centrally located Sanborn Square Park. The new reconstructed paved streets and widened sidewalks strengthen the physical and experiential connection and enhance and promote walkability between south and north ends of Downtown Boca. With the strategic installation of new pop-up bollards that can easily be raised to close off the streets around Sanborn Square, the new hub provides yet another great outdoor event locale within Downtown Boca for both private and commercial rentals and community activities.
To share the new “sense of ‘walkable’ space and place” and showcase the eclectic live-work-play-stay features of Boca’s new generation Downtown for all generations, Meet Me On The Promenade event programming is designed for discovering all there is to see and do along the newly paved Downtown Boca Pedestrian Promenade and the areas and businesses that it connects on East Palmetto Park Road, S.E. First Street, N.E. First Avenue, Boca Raton Road, from Mizner Park to Royal Palm Place.
Meet Me On The Promenade Saturday morning kicks off with the American Cancer Society’s 10th Annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk that begins at the Mizner Park Amphitheater and takes walkers through the new Downtown Boca Promenade and the north and south ends of the Downtown destination. Following the walk, attendee should head to one of three Downtown Boca information centers where they can register to participate in the event’s “Sip & Stroll Around Downtown Boca” self-guided discovery tour program will that help attendees to easily navigate through Downtown Boca’s community’s assets: dining, shopping, fashion, culture, family fun, living, and nightlife and all the Meet Me On The Promenade scheduled activities and programming, entertainment, retail and dining discounts, and giveaway offerings.
The “walk-friendly” event schedule features plenty of live entertainment; family-friendly activities; sports programming; a classic and exotic car show; nonprofit and cultural showcases; a Health-Full Community pavilion; an Art Attack Artists & Crafters Village Art Expo; Boca Raton GreenMarket; food tastings, demos and special Promenade weekend menus; trunk shows; the first annual “Picture Downtown Boca” open photography competition exhibition presented by South Florida Sunrise in association with the Boca Raton Museum of Art and Multi Image Group; art gallery shows and auction; guided and self-walking tours of Historic Downtown Boca hosted by the Boca Raton Historical Society; Segway tours; the popular Gourmet Truck Expo; “chances to win” and two nighttime “Dancin’ In The Streets” parties are just a few of the offerings. There will be Segway tours throughout the Downtown Boca community on Saturday. Participating retailers and restaurants will be extending evening hours. Plenty of free parking and complimentary trolley transportation provided during event hours.