By Greg Siems

Vision 2020 director

All of our Vision 2020 volunteers work hard, but we know how to have a good time, too. Coming up on June 3 will be the fourth annual Summer Kickoff celebration, which is organized by the Destination Downtown committee and free for everyone in the community to attend and enjoy.

The kickoff begins at 5:30pm and will run until about 10 p.m. As always, the kickoff will have live entertainment and fun activities for the whole family. Downtown Main Street will be blocked off between Second and Fourth Avenues with tables from area organizations including the YMCA, Austin Bruins, Yoga Studio of Austin, HyVee, Austin Public Schools VEX Robotics, and many more. Many downtown restaurants will also feature special deals on food and drink, and the Austin Jaycees will host a beer garden for adults.

The main stage this year will feature talented local musicians of all ages in an extended “jam session,” to highlight the successful jams that have been happening at the Austin ArtWorks Center since last fall. A house band will accompany singers and instrumentalists of most any style. Anyone is welcome to join and play, but those interested must pre-register. If you or someone you know would like to learn more or sign up, please contact Downtown committee chair Kelsey Ritchie at kelsey@austinareaarts. The deadline for registering is May 23.

The Summer Kickoff will proceed rain or shine. In the event of poor weather, the music and entertainment will move to the Historic Paramount Theater, while family activities will move to the YMCA. For the most recent updates and information about the event, be sure to follow us at the Downtown Austin, Minnesota Facebook page.

On behalf of Vision 2020 and the entire Austin community, I’d like to thank the members of the Destination Downtown committee for their work in organizing the kickoff. It’s the perfect opportunity for everyone to come together, celebrate warmer weather, and support our many great downtown businesses.

Special thanks are also due to this year’s event sponsors: Accentra Credit Union, the Hormel Historic Home, Everything Hobby, Piggy Blues, Bremer Bank, Wells Fargo, US Bank, Farmers & Merchants State Bank. Their contributions have been very helpful in making the kickoff as good as it can be, and we are grateful for their support.

So, please mark you calendars for June 3 and plan to enjoy a great evening downtown with family, friends and neighbors! We hope to see you there.