Parkways to be ready for Makin'

The parkways are progressing, and the few that will be near the upcoming 34th Annual Aiken's Makin' are still on schedule for completion.

Aiken City Manager Roger LeDuc said the parkways on Park Avenue at the cross sections of Union, Fairfield, York, and Chesterfield streets will be done in time for the artisans' event which will take place Sept. 10 and 11.

Sod has been placed in most of the parkways from Union to Chesterfield, and Public Works Director Larry Morris said they will be placing chip mulch around the trees Tuesday morning and will be done by Thursday.

The parkways where Aiken's Makin' will take place have very shallow, subtle drop-offs. The parkways further up Park Avenue may be a little deeper but will be covered in shrubbery, according to LeDuc. Leduc added that bridges may be built over some parkways where necessary.

The City of Aiken worked with the Aiken Chamber of Commerce to set up plans for Aiken's Makin' several months ago, and Morris said they have worked hard meet the deadline for the popular event.

"We wanted to make sure what we had for Aiken's Makin' would be suitable," Morris said.

The layout for Aiken's Makin' will be different this year, as artisans will set up on the outer edges of the parkways rather than in the center. They will also have booths set up in the road, which will be closed off to traffic.

Approximately 191 crafters will be at the event, along with around 30 food vendors.

The rest of the Park Avenue parkways from Chesterfield to Laurens streets will not be completed by then - which will not affect Aiken's Makin'. The date by which they will be completed is still undetermined, but Morris said that they have gotten a lot done in the last few weeks.

"We are steadily working down there and Mother Nature is finally giving us a breather," Morris said.

Contact Amy Banton at abanton@aikenstandard.com.