Board approves First Friday and Elks street closures; Blue Knights parade tabled
Summary
The board approved a temporary street closure for an Elks Lodge car show and later approved addendums to First Friday street closure times; a request from the Blue Knights motorcycle ride was tabled for further coordination.
The Board of Public Works and Safety on July 24 approved a temporary street closure for an Elks Lodge car show on Sept. 5 and later approved addendums to previously requested First Friday street closures, while tabling a request from the Blue Knights motorcycle group. Robert Wobble, representing the Elks, requested a temporary closure of North Main Street between West Clinton and West Pike Street from 4 to 9 p.m. on Sept. 5 for an annual car show; the board moved and later approved the closure after confirming coordination would occur with First Friday organizers. Separately, Jim Ballard of the Blue Knights asked for road closures for the 27th annual "Riding to Remember" event planned for Sunday, Sept. 7, but said the riders would not stop in Goshen and the memorial service will take place in Elkhart. The board voted to table the Blue Knights request until the next Board of Works meeting to allow staff and organizers to finalize road and staffing details. Later in the meeting the board approved addendums to previously requested street closure times for First Friday activities for 2025. The motions to approve the Elks closure and the First Friday addendums passed unanimously; the Blue Knights item was explicitly tabled.
