Social District events to keep drawing visitors to downtown St. Clair Shores this fall

ST. CLAIR SHORES — Downtown St. Clair Shores is rapidly becoming the place to be. 

The popular Downtown St. Clair Shores Social District events — street festivals with vendors, food trucks and live music that take place along Mack Avenue between Cavalier Drive and Nine Mile Road — continue this fall, with four more evenings of fun in September and October. The next ones are Sept. 10 and 24. 

The social district events take place between 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month from May through October, said Shores Inn owner Mary Bricolas. Bricolas is a St. Clair Shores Downtown Development Authority Board member and the person who organizes the social district nights.

In addition to restaurants in the district, Bricolas said there are usually about four or five food trucks serving up their specialties, along with roughly a dozen vendors. She said the band plays on a stage on the north end of the district from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., while on the south end, Firehouse Pub & Grill hosts a cornhole tournament. 

“It was such a great opportunity for the whole business district,” Bricolas said. 

St. Clair Shores City Councilman Dave Rubello, the council liaison to the Cool Cities Committee, said these events draw a couple thousand visitors to the downtown. He said the city is in the middle of its second year of these social district evenings. 

“It’s just been getting bigger and better and more exciting,” Rubello said. “They just come down with family and friends and listen to good music. People (are) getting to know each other in the community. I see lots of new people.” 

Bricolas said the events are also attracting new residents. 

“I’m hoping that it brings more growth and investment in the area,” Bricolas said. “Young people want to move to St. Clair Shores for all of the fun activities. It’s the greatest community for young people and young families.” 

Traditionally, a social district is a designated outdoor area where people can walk around while consuming alcoholic beverages in marked cups from participating bars and restaurants. In St. Clair Shores, however, the social district only operates during the twice-monthly seasonal evenings. 

“You can only carry liquor in designated areas,” Rubello said. “We created boundaries.” 

He said they haven’t had any problems resulting from letting people walk through the business district with alcohol. 

“It’s been great,” Rubello said. “It’s like the place to be in St. Clair Shores. The crowd is well behaved.” 

Rubello said these evenings have also “brought a lot of revenue to the businesses.” 

Officials say this has been a positive addition to St. Clair Shores. 

“I think this has been a great asset to the city and the residents,” Assistant City Manager Mike Greene said. “Overall, the city’s very happy with it.” 

To make room for the crowds and the vendors, Mack is closed to traffic in the downtown area starting around 5 p.m., Rubello said. However, attendees can still access parking lots behind the businesses, along Cavalier Drive and Nine Mack Drive. 

“It’s everything and more than we expected,” Rubello said. “St. Clair Shores is on the move.” 

Bricolas said they already plan to bring the social district back in 2023, operating on the same schedule as they did this year. She said they hope to add more elements to these events next year. 

“We hope to build on it and grow it,” Bricolas said. 

For more information about upcoming social district events, visit www.scsmi.net/999/Downtown-St-Clair-Shores-Social-District or www.facebook.com/DowntownStClairShores.