‘Meet Me on Main’ Starts June 19 in Oneonta

Something that was built out of necessity has turned out to embody "life enjoyed" for Oneonta area residents looking to dine outside and enjoy the beauty of the hills surrounding the City of Oneonta. As someone who thoroughly enjoyed dining on Oneonta's Main St. last summer, I was thrilled to discover that the City of Oneonta will be bringing it back this summer at least.

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The original concept last summer was to help financially stressed Downtown Oneonta restaurants gain customers during the coronavirus pandemic and it did just that, drawing not only just Oneontans but people outside the city as well. This concept of "reimagining" life in Oneonta during the COVID-19 pandemic was brought forth by the city's ‘Survive and Thrive’ task force, headed up by city alderman Mark Drnek.

What you can expect this summer for Dining on Main? It will take place every Saturday throughout the summer (weather permitting) starting on June 19 from 9:00am to 9:00pm. Main Street will be closed from Chestnut to Elm and will have brightly colored umbrellas lining the edges of the street in front of restaurants. There will also be live music over the course of the day and into the evening with 3 stage areas along the stretch street. Destination Oneonta is sponsoring one of the main stages in Muller Plaza with great live music to enjoy. Last year, the city purchased outdoor speakers so that music to dine to could be heard throughout the Main St. section closed off for the event.

Add to that, artisan and other vendors located along the way, especially down toward Chestnut Street. It will be a fun, festival-type atmosphere for those that come to 'Meet Me on Main', as our very own Big Chuck (WDOS) has dubbed it.

Last year, my husband and I loved this experience of dining outside on Main St. and will gladly enjoy it again this summer, especially since so much is being added to this event. I hope that we all get to enjoy "Meet Me on Main" for years to come. It's something many area residents have wanted for a long time anyway because it's so fun to eat outdoors and enjoy the scenery. Keep it going Oneonta!