Downtown Entertainment Zone coming soon!
If you spent any time in Downtown Martinez during and immediately after the pandemic, you probably remember when Main Street looked a little different.
When indoor dining shut down, downtown businesses adapted. Main Street closed to traffic on weekends, restaurants moved tables outside, and suddenly dining in the middle of downtown became the norm.
Then the bands showed up. I don't mean music coming from inside the restaurants. Bands were set up right in the middle of Main Street, roughly a hundred yards apart. On any given weekend, you could walk downtown and find three or four bands playing along the street.
People came prepared. Along with the restaurant tables and bar stools, you'd see people bringing lawn chairs and setting up along the sidewalk just to listen to the music. There was dinner. There were drinks. There was dancing. And there were plenty of people who simply came downtown to sit outside and enjoy the evening.
What started as a way for downtown businesses to survive the pandemic turned into something people really seemed to enjoy. So much so that the weekend street closures continued well after California reopened indoor activities.
Main Street Reopens
In late 2024, the regular weekend closures ended and cars returned to Main Street. I admit, I was disappointed.
The street still closes for the farmers market, open-air markets, First Friday, and other special events. I'm glad we have them, but it isn't quite the same. There was something about being able to come downtown on an ordinary weekend, have dinner outside, hear a band playing down the street, walk another block and hear another one, and see people dancing or sitting in their lawn chairs enjoying the music.
For a while, that was just what a weekend in Downtown Martinez looked like, and I miss it. Which is why a recent decision by the Martinez City Council caught my attention.
Martinez Approves a Downtown Entertainment Zone
The Martinez City Council recently approved the creation of a Downtown Entertainment Zone. According to the City's announcement, the new Entertainment Zone will allow participating businesses to serve alcoholic beverages to people 21 and older for consumption within designated outdoor areas during approved Entertainment Zone events.
That's an important detail. This does not mean you can purchase a drink and walk around Downtown Martinez whenever you want. The program applies during approved Entertainment Zone events and within designated outdoor areas.
The City describes the program as one designed to complement downtown's existing restaurants, bars, shops, events, and pedestrian-friendly environment while bringing additional activity to the area.
Mayor Brianne Zorn said: “This is about creating more reasons for people to come downtown, stay a little longer, and enjoy everything Martinez has to offer.” She added that the Entertainment Zone gives Martinez another way to create opportunities for residents and visitors to gather while supporting local businesses licensed to sell alcohol.
Sarah Baird, Executive Director of Downtown Martinez & Co., also described the Entertainment Zone as an opportunity to build on downtown's existing momentum: "We see the Downtown Entertainment Zone as an opportunity to build on the momentum we already have downtown, and to encourage people to shop, dine, listen to music, attend events, and experience Martinez in a new way.”
The City says additional information will be announced as implementation moves forward, including the first Entertainment Zone activations, participating businesses, boundaries, and operating requirements.
The announcement does not say whether Entertainment Zone events will include Main Street closures or live entertainment, but it's hard not to think back to those weekends on Main Street. Martinez already got a glimpse of what can happen when people are given space to gather downtown. People ate. They listened to music. They danced. They wandered between businesses. Most importantly, they stayed downtown.
What Comes Next
The Entertainment Zone won't necessarily recreate those old Main Street weekends—and nothing in the City's announcement says that it will, but it does create some interesting possibilities. Could we see more outdoor events? More live music? More opportunities to enjoy downtown outside? Maybe even an occasional return of that open-air dinner-and-dance atmosphere? We'll have to wait and see. For now, I'm curious to see what Martinez does with it.
Downtown Martinez Live will keep you posted as the City announces Entertainment Zone boundaries, participating businesses, operating requirements, and the first event dates.
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