Albert EL Fresco to Make its Return to Downtown East Lansing this May

By Press release submission

Apr 12, 2022

City of East Lansing issued the following announcement on Apr 6.

Community members are advised that the popular Albert EL Fresco pedestrian-friendly area will be making its return to downtown East Lansing’s Albert Avenue this May.

Both lanes of Albert Avenue, from just east of the Albert Avenue Garage’s entry/exit to M.A.C. Avenue, will be closed to traffic beginning Tuesday, May 10 to accommodate the space setup, with the grand reopening taking place on Thursday, May 12.

The Albert EL Fresco area will feature various types of seating, tables, shade amenities, hammocks, decorative lighting and outdoor games, including cornhole Giant Chess and Giant Connect 4. There will also be a variety of programming hosted throughout the summer in the space, including live music, outdoor yoga, game nights and more. Additionally, a new Take-Out-Tuesdays program will launch this summer, in which community members will be encouraged to grab take-out from their favorite downtown business and enjoy it in the Albert EL Fresco space on Tuesdays for a chance to win weekly prizes, including DNA eGift Cards. More details on how to participate in this fun, new program will be announced soon.

“We are excited to bring back the Albert EL Fresco this summer and we encourage community members to come down and check it out,” said East Lansing Community & Economic Development Administrator Adam Cummins. “While out and about, we also encourage community members to support the many local businesses in downtown East Lansing and participate in our new Take-Out-Tuesdays program.”

Community members are reminded that open alcohol is not permitted in the Albert EL Fresco space, but food and alcohol can be enjoyed at the approved outdoor dining areas operated by adjacent restaurants. Take-out food and non-alcoholic drinks can be enjoyed in the space. To keep up-to-date on the latest Albert EL Fresco happenings, community members can visit www.cityofeastlansing.com/AlbertELFresco (a schedule of events/programming for summer 2022 will be posted soon). Community members are also encouraged to follow Downtown East Lansing on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Community members are advised that the Albert Avenue Garage, 188 Albert Ave., will remain accessible to eastbound Albert Avenue traffic from Abbot Road and the Grove Street Garage, 330 Grove St., will remain accessible to northbound and southbound Abbot Road traffic by taking Linden Street to Grove Street. Additional downtown parking information is available at https://www.cityofeastlansing.com/parkingdowntown.

Albert EL Fresco is a collaborative placemaking initiative provided through a strategic partnership between the City of East Lansing, East Lansing Downtown Development Authority and East Lansing Downtown Management Board.

Original source can be found here.