Downtown Canandaigua BID reports strong festival turnout, announces Aug. 8 community music event

Denise Chapel, director of the Downtown Canandaigua Business Improvement District, told the City Council on July 20 that the downtown festival last weekend drew a large turnout despite smoke and storms and thanked police and public works staff for their support.

Chapel said the festival featured more than 150 artists, sponsors and food vendors across three days and included three days of live music. She credited BID staff and volunteers for managing weather challenges and said the event concluded successfully.

Chapel also announced public artworks completed last week by artist Courtney Austin — mural work on transformer boxes near City Hall and the railroad tracks — and said the BID will reopen Central On Main on July 25 with a music series, beginning with Me and the Boys. The BID’s next major event is scheduled for Aug. 8: a "unity" event that will attempt to set a world record for participants playing singing bowls simultaneously for five minutes. Chapel said the current record is 275 participants and that the BID expects more than that number based on registration interest.

The council and the mayor thanked Chapel and BID staff for their work; no formal council action was requested on the events.