United Downtown
Introducing United Downtown!
United Downtown is the place to be on Friday nights before a Gator Home Football Game. Food, friends and fun highlight this free, family-oriented street festival scheduled for September 2, 9, 16, and 30 and November 4, 18, and 25, 2011.
The festival is held on SE 1st Street, between University Ave and SE 2nd Avenue, creating an expansive walking area that allows event goers to sample food from local restaurants, talk to local merchants selling their products, enjoy the performances of local entertainers and hear the music of local bands. United Downtown is also our way of introducing you to some of the programs we fund and our agencies that serve our community.
It’s all free!
Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors and vendors, enjoying the entertainment and ambiance of United Downtown is free of charge. We encourage you to purchase food and beverages while you enjoy the festival. Funds raised from beverage sales go back to United Way for community support programs.
Kids’ Corner offers fun for children of all ages.
United Downtown offers interactive activities for children in the festival Kids’ Corner. Activities include a bounce house, jugglers, face painting and arts and crafts.
Dates & Times
Unless otherwise indicated United Downtown runs from 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Friday, September 2 (Florida Atlantic)
Friday, September 9 (UAB)
Friday, September 16 (Tennessee)
Friday, September 30 (Alabama)
Friday, November 4 (Vanderbilt; Homecoming, 1:30 -5:30 p.m.)
Friday, November 18 (Furman)
Friday, November 25 (Florida St.)
Map & Parking
We make it simple.
Coming downtown for this event will be easy. Parking is available around the event site. City Parking Lots are outlined in this map to help you find a place to park when you come to United Downtown. Click the map below for a larger image or download a map with all parking and street closures (PDF, 666 K).
RTS buses also run close to the area, with stops within walking distance. RTS provides a bus from the Oaks Mall to the Downtown Plaza every 30 mins for just $3 roundtrip. View the #5 Bus' schedule here (PDF, 1.8 MB).
Bands
United Downtown features local performers. Musicians perform on the Bo Diddley Plaza Stage from 5:30-7:00 p.m., immediately before the start of the City’s Friday Night Lights concert series.
September, 2
5:30-7:00 p.m. Blues-O-Matics
September, 9
5:30-7:00 p.m. Root Redemption Band
September, 16
5:30-7:00 p.m. Ricky Kendall & Friends
September, 30
5:30-7:00 p.m. 3rd Stone
November, 4
1:30-2:30 p.m. P.K. Yonge Bluegrass Band
3:30-5:30 p.m. Mr. Ainsworth
November, 18
5:30-7:00 p.m. The Righteous Kind
8:00-10:00 p.m. John McMillan
November, 25
5:30-7:00 p.m. TBA/open
8:00-10:00 p.m. 3rd Stone
Our Partners
United Downtown is produced by United Way of North Central Florida staff, along with the support of hundreds of volunteers. We are particularly proud of the support we have received from the City of Gainesville and the Gainesville Downtown Owners and Tenants Association (GDOT), AvMed, Cox and Publix.
Sponsors
Special thanks to our sponsors of United Downtown.
United Way Academy Donors
Platinum Sponsor
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Orange & Blue Sponsors
Friends of United Downtown
To become a United Downtown sponsor please download the United Downtown Sponsorship Opportunities form (PDF, 206 K) and follow the instructions.
Volunteers
Volunteers are the lifeblood of any major community event. United Way values volunteers for what they do throughout the year. Volunteers are needed for this event. If you would like to volunteer for this event, please click here.
