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NILES — The Niles Outdoor Dining Experience is set to make its long-awaited debut this weekend and community members and business owners alike are ready to celebrate.

Niles Main Street DDA is hosting a grand opening event Saturday filled with events and live music. The fun kicks off at 10 a.m. with Movement & Mimosas led by Jessica Nelson and refreshing sips from Niles Brewing Company.

Bee Crafty, 103 E. Main St., will have a table set-up at noon for mug decoration at a cost of $20. Sport Track Physical Therapy will have a new Innovative rehab technology demonstration from noon to 1 p.m.

From there, games, pop-up fun, music and more will be taking place until 10 p.m. The first band kicks off at 1 p.m., featuring local talent from Niles youth before leading to sets from Marc Sucks, Shreddy Tendergrass, Hey Annie, and the headlining act of Abbie Thomas and the Crazy Hearts at 8pm.

The NODE is the new outdoor gathering space in downtown Niles, built on a former section of 2nd Street. First appearing during the COVID-19 pandemic as a safe space for outdoor gathering, the NODE became a celebrated part of the community, leading to the permanent construction. Features include a fireplace, overhead lighting, tables and chairs for seating and a stage area for performances. Throughout the year, various businesses and organizations will be able to utilize the space for events and programming.

Tables and seating were installed last weekend, with community members taking advantage of the warm weather to explore the space. The NODE exists within the boundaries of Niles’ social district, meaning guests can drink to-go alcoholic beverages sold by approved businesses in the space.

“Everybody seems to be excited about it,” said Second & Main Co-Owner Dustin Janloviak. People come down with their pizza from Pizza Transit or come out with a drink from Niles Brewing Company. It’s great to see.”

Bee Crafty owner Bettina Payton believes the NODE will be a gathering space to promote community and downtown businesses.

“It’ll be fun to see families and friends gathering and just seeing different things happening down there, like the markets and our Friyays,” she said.

For Jankoviak, the NODE is a destination location he believes will help other businesses find success.

“Ever since I started working on business down here, the goals have been to create a lot of walking traffic and to show the community that people will walk up and down downtown, they will go into storefronts and they will spend money,” he said. “They will choose to stay downtown instead of going across the state line. For us at 2nd & Main. It’s just a good example for the rest of our businesses. Being a good resource for the rest of the businesses and really pouring into each other. We all have to be poured into and have the rising tides lift our sails.”

Grand opening live music lineup:

2 p.m. – Anja Tabor

2:45 p.m. – Hank Nelson and Friends

4:15 p.m. – Marc Sucks

5 p.m. – Shreddy Tendergrass

6:20 p.m. – Hey Annie

8 p.m. – Abbie Thomas and the Crazy Hearts