Visitors are flocking to the area as the stores and restaurant patios open while downtown streets close.
On Friday, the province entered into Step One of the Roadmap to Reopen plan which meant local stores and patios were open for business starting this weekend.
It also marked the first weekend of downtown street closures in Fergus and Elora could go ahead after originally being planned to start the Victoria Day long weekend.
A sunny Saturday was all the more enticing to visitors checking out what the area has to offer. Visitors spoken too often mentioned going to the Elora Gorge, shopping and doing some outdoor dining.
“It’s a beautiful day and it’s one of the first days that restrictions have eased up so we’re going to see if we can get on a patio,” said Matt Doyle, visiting from Sarnia.
“We stopped by the gorge today too just to check it out because we were at the Elora Quarry yesterday and now we’re just seeing the sights,” added Ashley Dimech, who mentioned she’s a soon-to-be local due to buying a house in Fergus with Doyle.
In Elora, portions of West Mill and Metcalfe Street close to vehicles on Saturday morning and open again Sunday evening.
Downtown Fergus' street closure is on a much smaller scale with just a portion of Provost Lane closed through to Oct. 31. Provost Lane features a group of tables and umbrellas.
The closures began last year as a way to allow more spacing for those shopping and eating downtown. Dimech and Doyle said they appreciate the practical benefits of the closure.
“Usually I have my two little nieces with me so this makes it a lot easier to move around with them, gives people a little more distance when hanging around too,” Dimech said.
“It’s a nice thing to do for pedestrians and this is a great city to do this in,” Doyle added.
Jessica Knight, visiting from Acton, said she enjoys the atmosphere the road closure creates.
“The second we came down here I thought that’s like the greatest idea,” Knight said. “It kind of feels like we’re in a little European town which is adorable. It’s like a vacation close to home.”
Colin Jackson, visiting from Oshawa, also liked the quaint small-town feel of the street closure. When asked why he came, it was simply “something to do,” and to support a few businesses.
“They definitely need it with the pandemic going on,” Jackson said.
Knight shared this sentiment.
“It’s been so long since we’ve gone out to do anything right, it’s just nice to get a little bit of normal back,” Knight said.
The street closures in downtown Elora run every weekend until Oct. 31.
