Celebration of students to return to downtown Merced

After more than a year off, Cap & Town returns to Merced on Saturday – this time headed up by the Greater Merced Chamber of Commerce.

Cap & Town, a large block party, is noon to 10 p.m. Saturday on Main Street, between M Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Bob Hart Square will also make way for the events.

The celebration – which before was technically called “Cap ’n’ Town” – dates to 2009, when it welcomed first lady Michelle Obama to Merced and celebrated the graduation of the first four-year class at UC Merced. After that, the event was expanded to include graduates of all age levels, from all schools.

But the celebration went dormant after the 2014 edition. It’s been revived this year, with organizers moving it up to the beginning of the school year.

Sharon Silva, who is organizing the event for the chamber, said this year’s offering will again open up to students of any age and their families.

“We wanted to make sure that we turned this around and made it for families,” she said on Friday.

UC Merced, Merced College and Merced City School District are involved in the day, organizers said.

Two stages on Main Street will host bands throughout the event. Also planned are a DJ, face painting, tours of Merced Theatre and several other attractions.

Visitors can qualify for a drawing, which boasts four Pure Cycle fixie bicycles as its top prizes.

From the inception of the yearly celebration of students up to 2014, the city of Merced planned and carried out the event, according to Karen Baker, a development associate with the city who has been involved in past Cap & Town planning.

“Cap & Town is a great event, and I’m really happy that the Greater Merced Chamber of Commerce is taking this on,” she said.

The city has had successful relationships with nonprofits who take over the organizing of downtown events, Baker said, pointing to the 20-30 Club’s work on the Merced Downtown Christmas Parade.

Cap & Town also offers fair-style foods, but organizers said they hope visitors will eat their meals in local restaurants. The event, after all, is about introducing students to what Merced has to offer.

“It gives an opportunity to come downtown and go in all the shops and try the restaurants,” Baker said. “So it’s a great opportunity to introduce them to our downtown.”

The weekly Merced Certified Farmers Market will also go on as usual from 8 a.m. to noon in the parking lot at 16th and Canal streets.

This story was originally published September 4, 2016 at 4:22 PM with the headline "Celebration of students to return to downtown Merced."