Fun times in the city on car-free day
Stirling city centre was a bustling throng of fun and activity as residents and visitors celebrated Open Streets 2023.
Thousands of people took advantage of the glorious spring sunshine to enjoy a packed programme of family-friendly activities at the free event on Saturday, which also marked Earth Day.
King Street, Friars Street, Port Street and part of Murray Place were closed to vehicles to allow a pedestrian-focused environment.
A wide range of events, including come-and-try sports, live music, arts and crafts, story sessions, a silent disco and historical walking tours, proved hugely popular as people also visited Stirling’s shops, cafes and restaurants.
Stirling Council leader Councillor Chris Kane said: “It was fantastic to see so many local residents and visitors embracing Stirling’s second Open Streets festival.
“They clearly enjoyed the wide range of fun, free activities on offer in the spring sunshine, as well as sampling our diverse shops, cafes, bars, restaurants and cultural attractions.
“There was a warm and friendly atmosphere around the city centre as people and families took over the streets in a safe and relaxed, car-free environment.
“The early feedback from visitors, businesses and partner organisations has been extremely positive, with the event highlighting the potential economic and environmental benefits of reclaiming Stirling’s key public spaces for pedestrians and making them more accessible for walking and cycling.
“I would like to thank all our staff involved in organising and managing the festival, along with all the organisations and businesses that took part and helped make the day such a success.”
Project director at Go Forth Business Improvement District Stirling, Danielle Mcrorie-smith, said: “We are delighted that the Open Streets programme was a roaring success for Stirling businesses.
“Our footfall counters have reported a 25 per cent increase in footfall in the city centre on Saturday and individual business owners have confirmed their trade doubled.
“One of the defining features of Open Streets is that there was out-of-area vending on offer, which is often a feature of other outdoor events. It provided a great opportunity for local businesses to be innovative and attract new customers by engaging with the wide variety of events on offer.”
Nichola O’neill, owner of King Cons, which hosted live music throughout the day as part of the event, said: “Open Streets was a fantastic event. As a small business we rely heavily on the local community supporting our business.
“The street festival created such a buzz and seeing people out and about was amazing. In fact, we had our best day in business to date since opening King Cons in September.”