Street-Side Dining in Downtown Oneonta Starts Soon

Something that was built out of necessity has turned out to embody "life enjoyed" for Oneonta area residents looking to dine outside and enjoy the beauty of the hills surrounding the City of Oneonta. As someone who thoroughly enjoyed dining on Oneonta's Main St. last summer, I was thrilled to discover that the City of Oneonta will be bringing it back this summer at least.

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The original concept last summer was to help financially stressed Downtown Oneonta restaurants gain customers during the coronavirus pandemic and it did just that, drawing not only just Oneontans but people outside the city as well. This concept of "reimagining" life in Oneonta during the COVID-19 pandemic was brought forth by the city's ‘Survive and Thrive’ task force, headed up by city alderman Mark Drnek.

What you can expect this summer for Dining on Main? It will take place every Saturday throughout the summer (weather permitting) starting on June 5 and I think it's safe to say that it will be very similar to last year with the city's purchased tables and brightly colored umbrellas lining the edges of the street from Chestnut St. down to Elm St. In addition, the city is working on getting live music on Main St. while following New York State guidelines. Even if there is a Saturday without live music downtown, last year, the city purchased outdoor speakers so that music to dine to could be heard throughout the Main St. section closed off for the event. My husband and I loved the experience of dining outside on Main St. and will gladly enjoy it again this summer.

Considering that herd immunity may or may not happen in New York State, I think everyone can feel safer dining outside with this awesome setting in Downtown Oneonta. With that aside, I hope that we all get to enjoy "Dining on Main" for years to come. It's something many area residents have wanted for years anyway because it's so fun to eat outdoors and enjoy the scenery. Keep it going Oneonta!