Much of downtown Palo Alto will be closed to traffic on Sunday, June 16, to make room for World Music day, which runs from noon to 8 p.m.
Police said that University Avenue will be closed from High Street to Webster Street and Hamilton Avenue will be closed from Ramona Street to Bryant Street. The actual event begins at 3 and ends at 7:30 p.m.
The City of Palo Alto and the Palo Alto Recreation Foundation are partnering to host the event, in which 50 different bands will play music at various locations along University Avenue and at King Plaza in front of City Hall.
World Music Day began in 1982 in France, where it is known as Fête de la Musique. Today, sidewalks, parks, community gardens, stores and other locations “become impromptu musical stages for both amateur and professional musicians to showcase their talents,” the World Music Day website states. All performances are free and open to the public.
Dance bands, an Indian percussionist, a barbershop chorus, jazz musicians and dozens more will be playing in Palo Alto.
More information about the event, including the schedule of performers, can be found at www.pamusicday.org.
We stopped by last year. For such a big road closure, this is a very low key event. No stages. No amps or speakers. The acts were small and hard to see or hear. With that much space, I think they could have vastly improved the event with some better production.
Last year was a wonderful low-key event with eclectic music and enthusiastic artists enjoyed by thousands, and periodic road closures for events such as this are a blessing allowing pedestrians to take back our fair downtown for a few hours. Thanks to Claude’s vision and the efforts of all!
Haters can stay home where you can hate on your family for Father’s Day.
Really – on the same day as Stanford grad AND Father’s Day? How stupi, traffic-wise.
Its traditionally on father’s day
As is Stanford’s commencement. Stanford being around since 1891 trumps world music day. Why not just do the music on Saturday instead?
World Music Day ( the original, not the Palo Alto version) is June 21st. Having it on Fathers Day makes it impossible for us to attend ( its not what my dad or my husband would choose to do on their day). Planning it on the same day as Stanford graduation is just plaim dumb. we would love to atttend if it was a week later ( which would put it closer to the historical date).
Good job snarling traffic Claude Ezran. Maybe you should have spent your time on finding a date that didn’t conflict with commencement and Father’s Day instead of giving Kevin Skelly a public slurpee.
I believe no people or animals were harmed, snarled, or even materially delayed in last year’s shutdown of one of three parallel arterial streets during the least traveled and most dispersed travel-time day of the week. Does anyone have any evidence, as opposed to theoretical whining, that inconvenience happened? Let’s try baby step acceptance of a successful event that might not have fit into some individual’s busy calendars.
Everyone who lives close to University Avenue knows it closes from time to time for such events.
Personally, I enjoy University Avenue much more when it’s closed to automobiles.
Standford Graduation is over at 2:30. WMD starts at 3:00. The events dont conflict,
It’s not that the events conflict, it’s the insane traffic – which impacts well beyond Univ Ave & downtown. A lot of visitors to Stanford don’t know other streets to drive on besides the major ones. I’ve heard many complaints about the traffic from these events + Father’s Day events and it just makes sense to not just steer clear of that part of PA, but 101 & 280. I remember seeing incredible jams on Middlefield last year. This would be a perfect day to have better public transpo – it’s a shame that we don’t.
Well then road closure impacts exists any day, so it might as well be today. Just ride your bike there and have fun listening to the music.
Um, to whom are you directing your comments? I’m sure that PLENTY of its attendees will walk or cycle, while the rest of the folks going to other local events will be stuck in terrible traffic, given the lack of good public transpo options.
I’d be all for closing University Ave to cars permanently.
It is interesting to see the number of posters who have been able to conjure various critiques for an a very nice event that almost all attendees seem to really enjoy. Perhaps the comments are more of a reflection of the posters than the event. Maybe it would be simpler for them to just stay home and yell at kids to stay off of their lawns. That would reduce the traffic problems too.
Hmmm,
Deal with it.
Harumph! I’m inconvenienced! This is an outrage..I am personally inconvenienced! HARUMPH!
Um – I dealt w/it fine, as I have, for all of these events, for years. How about you?
The asinine idiocy of conflicting events w/massive traffic is never a good idea – yet PA wants community engagement, participation & of course, as much of our $$ as possible spent locally. That all happens more when the community can actually attend – it’s not rocket surgery, yet PA insists on this scheduling conflict. Perhaps they just don’t want as many participants as possible, which could be just lovely -sometime smaller is better. Folks from farther away can take the train or bus. Those from further away who wish to celebrate their fathers not into live music shall, as usual, stay far away. And, as usual, there will still be people who are surprised that PA schedules public events that have such obvious conflicts – but maybe the schedulers are secret geniuses who want to keep these events at a smaller size. Perhaps their marketing genius includes advocates like you who have such a lovely way w/words & are so inclusive.