By Stephen Appezzato
RED BANK – A new weekly market, the return of live music every Saturday night and Kids Takeovers on Fridays are all set for Broadwalk this summer in hopes of making the 2024 season the best yet for the downtown attraction.
Broadwalk is officially back, and bigger than before, with more events planned through September, according to Bob Zuckerman, executive director of RiverCenter, the nonprofit that advocates for Red Bank businesses and manages the downtown’s Special Improvement District.
“The point is to bring people back to downtown Red Bank,” he said.
“There’s a lot to explore. There are a lot of restaurants, there are great restaurants on the Broadwalk, but they are also excellent restaurants beyond the Broadwalk,” he said.
Following another round of downtown beautification, including the installation of more flower beds, bistro lighting and a new parklet which is in the works for Monmouth Street, the organization announced this summer will feature a weekly open-air market on Broadwalk among other regular events. Starting June 6, Broadwalk FRESH will be a pop-up for artisan vendors every Thursday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. through Sept. 26.
“We jointly curated the vendors with them (FRESH) with the goal in mind of having only original products that are unique to that particular vendor, as not to duplicate products and gifts and what have you that you could find in our brick-and-mortar stores,” Zuckerman explained. After partnering with FRESH, a company that recruits small businesses and artists for pop-up shopping events, for Red Bank’s Oktoberfest last year, RiverCenter wanted to create a weekly, summer-long event. The partnership teased an array of established and emerging artists who will attend Broadwalk FRESH through the summer, including Always on Holiday, Anahata Crochet and Ant Picnic, accompanied by “gourmet treats” and live entertainment.
With a successful opening weekend June 1, StreetLife made a return to the downtown district this year, showcasing live music every Saturday night from 6 to 9 p.m. through Sept. 7. Zuckerman said there will be many local acts performing this year across four downtown locations – on Monmouth Street by Dublin House, Broad Street by Beijing Bistro, Riverside Gardens Park and on Broadwalk – making this year the best StreetLife yet. Similarly, Kids Takeover will return this year on Fridays from 4 to 6 p.m., offering games and activities for all ages.
Zuckerman said he thinks people are excited. “I mean, that’s our hope, that they’ll be excited to continue to come out and not just explore the Broadwalk… (but) explore a lot of the other great businesses that we have here in downtown Red Bank. That’s really the point.”
Zuckerman said the Red Bank Borough Council has been very supportive of RiverCenter’s goals, helping deliver on weekly events.
“We’ve had a really excellent working relationship with them,” he said.
“They get what Broadwalk is about, and our goals for continuing to do Broadwalk beyond the pandemic,” he said. Those goals include bringing new people into the downtown.
Broadwalk was born in 2020 in response to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions to support local businesses and provide activities, outdoor dining and entertainment for visitors.
Alongside weekly events, this summer the borough will host its Red Bank Classic 5K run June 15, a performance from the NJ Symphony at Marine Park June 29, and the 70th annual sidewalk sale Aug. 9, 10 and 11. The season culminates with another Oktoberfest Sept. 21. For more information on this summer’s events, visit redbank.org.
The article originally appeared in the June 6 – June 12, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
