On Aug. 4, the Zionsville Chamber of Commerce hosted the 42nd annual Zionsville Street Dance on Main Street.
Tracy Phillips, Zionsville Chamber of Commerce executive director, said the event is always well-attended, but this year’s turnout was bigger than previous years.
“We are giving it a conservative estimate of 8,000 people in attendance,” Phillips said. “We were really pleased with the turnout.”
The Street Dance is the chamber’s largest annual fundraiser. Tickets were $10 in advance or $15 at the event entrance.
“We are dependent on fundraisers so we can do what’s best for economic and business development for our community,” Phillips said. “This is very important for us so we can continue to serve.”
The event grown and evolved through the years but has always taken place on the brick street. PolkaBoy, a local polka band with a large following, has played at the event in previous years and was this year’s featured performer.
“The advantage of bringing PolkaBoy in is that they get people up and dancing,” Phillips said. “As I always tell people, it’s not street sit, it’s street dance.”
Phillips said PolkaBoy also draws its own loyal crowd.
“Wherever they go, there’s a group of people that follow them every weekend,” Phillips said. “It gives (attendees) the opportunity to discover Zionsville and gives us a chance to showcase Main Street to people who are not necessarily from Zionsville.”
The chamber’s primary purpose for hosting community events, Phillips said, is to attract people to the town.
“They come back later for dinner or shopping. They will know (the businesses) are there and come back,” Phillips said.
This year’s Street Dance also included food vendors, beer and wine and additional music and entertainment. The event was emceed by radio personality Kristi Lee, a Zionsville resident.
