Painted benches and trees fill the Market Square Transit Pedestrian Plaza in Brownsville.
A mural on a building in downtown Brownsville promotes the city. The public is invited to attend the first Downtown Brownsville Walkabout, scheduled from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday. The event will feature music, arts and crafts. MICHELLE ESPINOZA/ THE RIDER PHOTOS
The first Downtown Brownsville Walkabout, featuring music, arts and crafts, will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday.
“We are bringing people down to downtown Brownsville. Maybe since 1950, that’s how long it’s been dead here,” said Frank Morales, a founder of the Downtown Brownsville Collaborators.
The Downtown Brownsville Collaborators is an organization composed of around 40 local artists,business owners and entrepreneurs whose aim is to change the perspective of what downtown Brownsville is and want to make it more of a cultural hub, said Cianna Perez, another founder of the organization.
“We want it to be a place of activity and a place where people can go and thrive and enjoy what downtown has to offer,” Perez said.
She said the organization plans to hold more walkabouts, possibly every third Saturday of the month.
The event will be mostly centered in East Adams Street, between 11th and 13th streets. Attendees can buy arts and crafts from local vendors and take part in activities such as chalk drawing, a water balloon toss and face painting.
A variety of arts and crafts will be sold at El Hueso de Fraile, located at 837 E. Elizabeth St., and at BAM, located at 1045 E. Washington St. Other locations are Contrappunto, Work Pub, the Palm Lounge, the Kraken Lounge, the Brownsville Historic Museum, Half Moon Saloon and La Rioja restaurant-bar.
“Seeing these businesses are willing to collaborate for the benefit for the community, I was jumping around last night,” Morales said. “It’s something that the people are talking about. They are excited. They’ve been waiting for a long time for downtown Brownsville to put out its true colors. It’s been a treasure hidden underneath this ground.”
For more information, visit the Downtown Brownsville Walkabout Facebook page.
Event parking will be available at a parking garage on the corner of East Adams and 14th streets. Downtown parking meters will be free after 5 p.m, according to the Downtown Brownsville Walkabout Facebook page.
Attendance is free. For more information, call Perez at 407-9713 or Morales at 592-9313.
