CITY FOCUS:Surf City Nights: Week 2

As a weekly street fair with a farmers’ market, entertainers and other street vendors moved into its second trial week, downtown businesses and city officials have begun drawing conclusions about the wisdom of such an event.

The 13-week trial was born from a compromise after Main Street business owners opposed a city plan to close a portion of the street to car traffic permanently. Some saw it as a way to predict the success of more closures.

The verdict? A success, though few say it has changed their minds about the viability of a permanent closure of a portion of Main Street.

“I’m loving it,” Les Draper, the owner of Smokin’ Mo’s BBQ, said Tuesday. “I want it every Tuesday night. It’s exactly what downtown needed, and I haven’t heard one negative comment from anyone.”

Draper said it was a major boost to his business. But once a week is enough, he added.

“You want it to be special,” he said. “You don’t want it to get old.”

The festival livens up a usually slow night, said Bob Bolen, a member of the Huntington Beach Business Improvement District board, which strongly opposed a permanent closure — and still does.

“This was great,” Bolen said. “There were a lot of people here and a lot of energy,” though he thinks it may take four weeks to be sure of a continued draw.

Bolen said restaurants were the big winners the first week, some getting as much business as he’d ever seen them have. Retailers had more mixed results, he said — for one thing, entertainers and a line of vendor tents obstructed the path to some of their entrances.

The city is working hard to listen to retailers and the public to work out the kinks, said city economic development specialist Nova Punongbayan.

“It was our first night,” she said. “We’re working out the details on lighting and layout. To me, it’s an evolving thing.”

For the second week, booths were more staggered, leaving more room to reach vendors. There was more lighting and some performers were moved to the central intersection at Main Street and Olive Avenue, drawing crowds there rather than into narrower spots at the edges. It appeared that just as many people came as the first week, which drew an estimated 5,000.

Couple Vina Nguyen and Darrel Le said they loved Surf City Nights, though first-timer Le had been a bit skeptical before he came.

“She went the first week and loved it,” Le said. “She even bought a CD from some guitar guys. So she dragged me here this time.”

Carrying a bag full of roasted peanuts and some farmers’ market blackberries, Le said he was completely won over.

“This was a lot of fun,” he said. “Especially all the entertainment. I’m definitely going to drag all my friends here now.”

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Do you think Tuesday’s Surf City Nights show a permanent Main Street closure would be a good idea? Call our Readers Hotline at (714) 966-4691 or send e-mail to hbindependent@latimes.com. Please spell your name and include your hometown and phone number for verification purposes.