Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance and James Madison University Orientation are excited to announce the 2023 “Block Party in the ‘Burg” on Saturday, August 26 from 2:30 - 4:30 PM in downtown Harrisonburg. The event will temporarily impact Main Street traffic and some parking options, but downtown will be accessible to pedestrian traffic. All parking decks and the municipal lot by Turner Pavilion will remain open, and businesses, including the Harrisonburg Farmer’s Market, will remain open and ready to welcome customers during their regular, Saturday business hours.
Students will walk north, in a procession, from campus along S. Main Street starting at 2 PM. While there will be higher pedestrian activity downtown, parking will be ample and available. Shoppers and diners are encouraged to access parking decks and municipal parking lots via S. Liberty St. and Mason St. For more information about the day’s events, please visit downtownharrisonburg.org/block-party.
OFFICIAL STREET CLOSURES AND PARKING RESTRICTIONS FOR BLOCK PARTY IN THE ‘BURG
Parking in the following locations will be prohibited on Saturday, August 26th from 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM:
- East Market Street Parking, from Main Street to Federal Street
- Main Street Parking, from Martin Luther King Jr. Way to Rock Street
- Parking around Court Square
- SBC/Jimmy Madison’s Parking Lot
- Lower Newman Avenue Parking Lot
- Water Street Parking Lot (behind Magnolia’s Taco & Tequila Bar)
The following streets will be closed to vehicular traffic on Saturday, August 26th from 11:30 AM – 5:30 PM:
- Court Square will be closed for event set-up and activities.
- Both lanes of Main Street from Martin Luther King Jr. Way to Rock Street will be closed (Rock Street will remain open). Hard closures will be placed at Franklin Street and the North, East, and West sides of Court Square.
REOPENING STREETS AND PARKING
- Depending on crowd levels, Main Street and all event-related, prohibited parking locations will reopen at 5:30 PM, at the discretion of the Harrisonburg Police Department and Public Works.
Parking will be accessible in the following locations on Saturday, August 26th:
- The Municipal Parking Lot by Turner Pavilion will be open. It will be easily accessible from S. Liberty Street. No event-related activities will be held at the Pavilion.
- The Water Street and Elizabeth Street parking decks will be open and accessible from S. Liberty Street and Mason Street respectively. Upper and lower levels of both parking decks will be open to the public.
- All 4-hour parking downtown is always free. Spaces reserved for permit holders become free public parking on weekends and holidays and, after 5:00pm, on weekdays. Free parking is located throughout downtown and labeled with signs. Please be aware of “No Parking” signage and road closures that will prohibit street parking at those locations.
Block Party in the ‘Burg is a free community event made possible through generous support by JMU Orientation, Valley Mall, Domino’s Pizza, Commonwealth One, iHeartMedia, and other community partners.