The City of Denison Main Street program announced plans for Good Morning Downtowners on Aug. 19 and discussed broader efforts to expand music programming downtown, activate a new stage and refine festival safety and logistics for fall events.

Board members said the Good Morning Downtowners event will run Aug. 19 from 8 a.m. to about 9:30 a.m. and will follow a trade-show style format with tables and partner booths; staff invited public-safety partners (fire marshal), streetscape designer Chris Lamka, the new tourism manager and DDI representatives to participate. The board encouraged attendance from parks, code enforcement, historic-preservation partners and the chamber.

On programming, the music-friendly committee reported interest in expanding music across existing events, adding busking to the wine walk, and activating the new stage at the food park and other venues without large initial expenditures. Committee members said the city wants to build toward a modest September music festival rather than immediately hiring high-cost headline talent; the plan focuses on local artists and integrating music into existing events such as bar crawls and the wine walk.

Members reviewed recent festivals and noted public-safety changes implemented this year. Emergency management and public-works staff deployed water-filled barricades and temporary vehicle assets at Doc Holliday and other downtown events to secure festival blocks, and the city said the emergency-management team will maintain a presence at major events going forward. Staff described contingency plans for emergency access—deployable drains, forklifts and all-terrain vehicles that can move or bypass barricades if needed—and direct radio communication between event staff and public-safety officers.

Board members discussed aesthetic trade-offs and said trucks used to secure blocked streets were visually prominent but necessary for safety; staff said future planning will aim to reduce visible truck staging where possible while keeping safety measures in place. The board also discussed vendor-stay requirements tied to barricade placement and said the barricades will make it harder for vendors or car-show participants to leave mid-event.

Other items: staff reported archive signage will be installed with the streetscape in the 400 and 700 blocks, and Amanda Parsons, parks and recreation director, reported that the parks commission approved a dog park for Forest Park with funding drawn from cost savings in the Eisenhower birthplace/monument budget; the dog park is expected to move forward this winter.