Dixon Main Street cancels restaurant walk and hotlines

DIXON - The city's downtown revitalization group, Dixon Main Street, is making a few changes to its activities and offerings. The Saturday Progressive Restaurant Walk, a new event last year that suffered from low ticket sales, has been called off. It featured a tour of downtown eateries and bars. Also gone are the "285-EATS" and "285-PUBS" hotlines, which provided daily meal specials for a handful of restaurants and daily drink specials and upcoming events for a few downtown bars. Few people called, Executive Director Josh Albrecht said. On the plus side, free Friday luncheon concerts resume from noon to 1 p.m. Friday, when Robbie LeBlanc will perform outside the Town Square Centre. He plays a mix of '70s, '80s, and '90s rock music. Tables and chairs will be provided, and there will be weekly raffles. The full schedule is available at www.dixonil.com/mainstreet on the Web. Main Street also is working with Community Partners Inc. on a project in which banners will be sold to businesses and hung on light posts throughout the downtown and along Galena and Peoria avenues. Each banner will have one of two designs, and the name or logo of the sponsoring business. One hundred are available, 40 have been sold and the rest will be sold through June. The city sign ordinance must be amended, which will likely happen at the next City Council meeting June 16. Main Street also is having a golf outing June 12 at Timber Creek Golf Course in Dixon. For more information or to register, call 815-288-2308 or 815-440-3495. Plans also are in the works for a June 20 sidewalk sale. It will take place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and feature participating downtown businesses.