The sounds of the Michael Miller Band will fill Willis Park next Friday as Bainbridge hosts its second Downtown Street Dance.

“It’s a good family event to come and have fun at,” said Amanda Glover, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority, “and it’s safe because the streets will be blocked off.”

Along with the live music, many local and downtown restaurants will have a “mini food court” during the event, Glover said.

The first dance, hosted in May of this year, was a result of the Downtown Master Plan the DDA created and has been working on implementing.

“The Master Plan really led to the dance in May, because [the Downtown Development Authority] really wanted to bring the community together,” Glover said. “We did it in May to kind of celebrate the end of the school year.”

Glover said that the dance in May brought out between three and four hundred people who brought lawn chairs and enjoyed the live music.

“It was so overwhelmingly successful that we wanted to do another in the fall time,” Glover said.

A big part of the Master Plan revolves around creating a downtown community. Glover said that speaking with an older Bainbridge citizen made her realize the potential for creating memories in downtown Bainbridge.

“It’s about getting people used to coming downtown not only for food and shopping, but for creating memories,” Glover said. “I think that’s something important for our little ones, that we offer that chance.”

The streets surrounding Willis Park will be closed off for safety reasons, but many shops and restaurants will be open for visitors, and there will be tables set up for diners. The Michael Miller Band will take the stage — or gazebo — at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24. The event will last until 10 p.m.

The Michael Miller Band is a country/rock group based out of Tallahassee, Fla., and has played several shows in Bainbridge before.