The First Fridays on First Street community festival series in Wright City will kick off for the year this week on May 6.

The monthly festival series features vendors, crafters, entertainers and fun activities in downtown Wright City on the first Friday of each month from May to August. Last year was the first year for the festival series in the city, which saw tremendous participation from both vendors and visitors.

Organizers say they’ve expanded the festival area this year to include more vendors.

The festival series is organized by local business owners and community members who want to draw new interest to downtown Wright City as part of a larger effort to revitalize the area.

This year’s First Friday series has a special theme for each festival day:
May 6 — Spanish Night
June 3 — Dog Days of Summer
July 1 — Red, White and Blue
Aug. 5 — Back to School Bash

All festivals will be held from 5-9 p.m. and are child- and family-friendly throughout the events. The festival is free for anyone to attend.

Vendors wishing to reserve a space at one or more of the First Friday festivals can do so using a signup form on the Facebook page of the Wright City Downtown Revitalization Committee (@WrightCityDRC). Booth fees are $40 per event or $150 for all four events.

Organizers say fundraising activities at the festivals this year will go toward improving parking in the downtown area.