Stuart, Florida has grown by leaps and bounds since my parents moved here back in 1976. Lots more people and lots more traffic, especially since its neighbor to the north, Port St. Lucie, with suburban developments from the Indian River into what is essentially feral pig territory, is now the 6th largest city in Florida. But Stuart itself is basically a small town, very much still like the old Florida, with no buildings over 4 stories allowed in the entire county. Its downtown is especially attractive, thanks to a revitalization project back in the 1980s and 1990s led by renowned urban planner Andres Duany, whom I first learned about reading Miami: City of the Future, published back in 1987. But my point is that as a small town, there are usually certain events that everyone in town attends, and Market on Main, which takes place in Flagler Park just west of downtown Stuart, seen in the photograph on the left, and Rock'n Riverwalk, which takes place nearby at the Stuart Promenade, are two of those events.
Market on Main is a farmer's market for local farmers, artists, and other artisans that takes place every Sunday from 9:00 until 2:00 during the season and until 1:00 the rest of the year. I have walked through it many times, and I must say, it is not so much the market that I like but the location, right along the St. Lucie River, not to mention the peoplewatching, which makes for a pleasant afternoon stroll. Thanks to a major city just to the north, the demographics are much more diverse in Stuart than years ago, when it was just the locals and retirees from the north, which makes for a much more vibrant mix. And after walking through the market, Rock'n Riverwalk, seen in the photograph on the right, takes place just a few blocks away from 1:00 until 4:00 every Sunday, too, thus offering the option of spending an entire day in downtown Stuart, which I assume was the whole reason Stuart Main Street, a non-profit focusing on improving downtown Stuart, came up with those events in the first place. And, by the way, the Bryce Allyn Band was playing reggae this past Sunday on that stage and were pretty damn good, if I say so myself.
Right next to the Stuart Promenade is a park, where many people prefer to sit and listen to the music under the trees, with a nice view of the river, many of them bringing their own chairs, as seen in the photograph on the left. All in all, Stuart Main Street has done a good job of making downtown Stuart a very lively place, although I do have one complaint about that organization. For many years, in the month of August, there would be a major festival in downtown Stuart called Dancing in the Streets, with three stages featuring musical acts, and lots of booths selling food, drinks, and all other manner of items. Working for the University of Denver Bookstore, our slowest time was in August, and so I was usually visiting my mother Mary down in Stuart when that event took place. All over town I would hear people asking their friends and acquaintances if they were going to attend - it usually took place from 5:00 until midnight on a Saturday night and was the major event of the summer, the slowest time of the year. But then Dancing in the Streets was ended for good. I actually contacted Stuart Main Street and asked what happened, and I was told people had just lost interest in the festival. But I really can't believe that. Did the merchants object to losing a night of business? The locals often referred to the event as "drinking in the streets." Were the natives getting too rowdy? Who knows? But I still miss it. August in Stuart will never be the same.
