'Alive After 5' Expands to 'Alive at the Square' in August

Canton Street's has become increasingly popular in recent years - and now the Roswell Square Merchants Alliance is getting in on the action with its coordinating event, Alive at the Square.

Having teamed up with the Historic Roswell Merchants Association, the Roswell Square Merchants Alliance has big plans for the area it serves, not the least of which is to springboard Alive at the Square off the success of Alive After 5 by holding the new event in conjunction with the latter event every third Thursday of the month during the summer, beginning in August this year.

"This new Alliance has formed to extend our city’s core shopping and dining experiences to include all of the businesses in our historic district from SOCA on Oak Street, south to the Square and all the way down to the river along South Atlanta Street," said Roswell Square Merchants Alliance member Anne Reddick in a recent press release.

They'll kick off efforts to remind people Roswell's historic district goes beyond Canton Street on Aug. 16 with Alive at the Square. Linked by frequent trolley service from the Canton Street area to Mimosa Boulevard, organizers of the new event are hoping historic district visitors will take full advantage of the retail and dining opportunities south of Canton Street.

Plans for the August event at the Square include gourmet food trucks, live band music in the gazebo and vendors set up on the Square. Organizers encourage visitors to bring a blanket, order dinner from a food truck and enjoy a picnic around the Square.

Hopes are that the coordination of the two events will "bring the excitement" of Alive After 5 to the often overlooked historic square.

Trolleys will service Canton Street, Green Street, Mimosa Boulevard, Bulloch Avenue and parking lots at , , and .

Merchants Alliance organizers are looking forward to the event and the potential for increased foot traffic it will bring during August, September and October.

"Our biggest thank you goes to Sally Johnson who, over the years, has managed and grown the huge, state acclaimed success that is AA5," wrote Reddick.