BROOKINGS (10-23-26) — South Dakota State University’s homecoming week is underway, and the Brookings Police Department is preparing for the Hobo Day festivities on Saturday.
The Hobo Day Parade will start at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. To accommodate the parade route, Main Avenue will close to traffic and parking starting at 2:30 a.m. Saturday. Violators will be subject to ticketing and towing.
Beginning sometime in the early afternoon, based on community safety needs, the Police Department will shut down vehicle traffic in the 300 and 400 blocks of Main Avenue – essentially from Skinner’s Pub to Nick’s Hamburger Shop.
The 300 and 400 blocks of Main Avenue will be barricaded and monitored. Short-term parking will be allowed for people needing to conduct business within those areas.
Rideshare drivers are encouraged to pick up customers at the Third or Fifth street intersections of Main Avenue. Those east-west intersections will be open to through traffic. The Fourth Street and Main Avenue intersection will be closed.
The street closure will remain in force until sometime between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. Sunday.
“Safety is my top priority,” said Brookings Police Chief Michael Drake. “Blocking vehicle traffic for a few blocks on Main Avenue will allow people to walk freely without the risk of a motorist not seeing them cross the street.”
Main Avenue is a two-lane street with parking allowed on both sides, which can make it difficult to see pedestrians when they cross the street without using the crosswalks, Drake said. That becomes a greater concern on Hobo Day, which typically attracts an influx of visitors to downtown.
“We hope everybody will understand and appreciate the reason for this,” Drake said. We want people to enjoy themselves on Hobo Day and be safe.”
— From the City of Brookings
