Greater Harrisburg's Community Magazine

Expanded hours, locations this Saturday for Harrisburg’s outdoor dining event

Diners chow down along N. 2nd Street during the first “Saturday Nights in the City” last weekend.

Harrisburg is making some big changes to its Saturday outdoor dining event, expanding hours, locations and street closures.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse today said the decision to expand “Saturday Night in the City” was made because of the success of last weekend’s initial event.

“We are pleased with the success of the first event last weekend, ” Papenfuse said. “This program is a great way for us to support our city restaurants, and I encourage residents to come out again this upcoming Saturday night.”

The city and the Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District launched the al fresco dining event to help restaurants comply with state regulations, as Dauphin County is in the “yellow” phase of the state’s reopening plan during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This Saturday, the event will run an additional two hours—from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., meaning it will start an hour earlier and end an hour later.

In addition, several more streets will be closed as the number of participating restaurants has grown. The following streets will close beginning at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday:

  • 2nd Street from Market to Pine streets
  • State Street from Church to N. 2nd streets, westbound
  • North Street, from Susquehanna to N. 3rd streets, westbound, and from N. 2nd to Buttonwood streets
  • Conoy Street (Shipoke)
  • 3rd Street, from Market to Chestnut streets

The participating restaurants now include:

  • El Sol
  • Stock’s on Second
  • Carley’s Ristorante and Piano Bar
  • Café Fresco
  • Taco Solo
  • Ad Lib Craft Kitchen and Bar
  • Sawyer’s
  • Bourbon Street Saloon
  • Zembie’s
  • McGrath’s
  • Arooga’s
  • Taste Buffalo
  • Cork & Fork
  • Federal Taphouse
  • Rubicon
  • Mangia Qui
  • BurgerIM
  • Bollywood
  • The Brick Haus
  • Los Tres Cubanos
  • Second Street Shawarma
  • JB Lovedraft’s
  • The Vegetable Hunter

Saturday Nights in the City also has been extended through July 4. Originally, the program was due to run just through the month of June. In addition, the city plans to have a food truck festival on City Island, along with Independence Day fireworks.

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