Front Royal’s Memorial Day Weekend grand re-opening runs thru Monday

Soul Mountain Café & Grill didn’t need to wait for the Town-distributed tables and chairs Saturday as they already have a cordoned-off outside seating area. They were serving some mighty-good looking lunches, including to a trio of friendly D.C. tourists at the first table. Royal Examiner Photos/Roger Bianchini

Soul Mountain proprietor Gary Kearney checks on the status of Front Royal resident Howard Grant’s Barbecued Ribs – that status was, ‘Hmmm, hmm good – and a to-go box, please.

Public Works Director Robbie Boyer’s Town truck begins the blocking off of East Main Street’s east side as the official Saturday, 2 p.m. re-opening starting time rolls by.

A friendly reminder that better safe than sorry on the public health front at East Main’s west end cordoning off.

Above, social distancing wasn’t a problem to begin as downtown visitors get used to a vehicular traffic-free Royal Avenue to Chester St. section of Historic Downtown Front Royal shortly after 2 p.m. Saturday. Later, below, it got more crowded but appeared to be families walking in closely-knit groups. That section of East Main will reopen Tuesday morning at 7 a.m., following the Memorial Day holiday.

The Chester St. access to the Gazebo area Town Parking Lot was closed for the Memorial Day weekend and spaces were at a premium from the lot’s other entrance.

The Gazebo-anchored Village Commons area was popular with kids and parents getting away from home after two months of state-ordered pandemic social gathering precautions.

Front Royal’s mayor and interim town manager and family members crossed paths shortly after the 2 p.m. start of a walking mall-styled portion of downtown to help restaurants socially-distance customers with added outdoor seating in the Town right of way.

Above and below, the Jig & Jive Dance Studio kids seemed to be socially distancing while strutting their stuff at Front Royal’s Village Commons.

Royal Spice was seating outside and doing carryout from the restaurant’s rear entrance for those, like the ‘King’ on point, wanting to add a little, or a lot, of spice to their Memorial Day weekend.

A little further up East Main St. the Front Royal Brewing Company, above and below, added to its side of house, Kidd Ln. outdoor seating area.

And the downtown businessman who made it happen – he pulled the special event permit that allowed the Town to close E. Main St. to vehicular traffic this weekend – C&C Frozen Treats proprietor William Huck and wife Nina, had the C&C Ice Cream truck out to assure the availability of some tasty frozen treats at both ends of East Main.

We hope that wasn’t the title of the film Royal Cinemas was planning on showing outside once it got dark enough – sounds a little depressing.

They don’t have to social distance – it’s one big happy family that is glad to get outside and see some open downtown business choices

And more E. Main St. choices for the adventuresome this holiday weekend through Monday evening. Come out, enjoy, and stay safe with the governor and town officials recommended social distancing guidelines; and perhaps even a precautionary safety mask – while you’re not eating of course.