If you’re planning on driving through downtown Joplin tomorrow afternoon and evening, you’ll have to plan a new route. KRPS’s Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more.

Third Thursday returns tomorrow afternoon in Joplin. The six-month-long event that runs from the third Thursday in March until October was canceled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. According to Joplin Downtown Alliance Executive Director Lori Haun, a lot has changed since the last Third Thursday was held in October of 2019. “The biggest things that we have new are just what some of our businesses are featuring. We do have a brewery downtown now. So that’s exciting. It’s there on the 100 block. We do have a couple of new restaurants. The Boardroom is on the 100 block. And then Beats and Barrel is on the 500 block. Those are exciting. They’ll have some outdoor dining and things like that.”

Third Thursday includes food trucks, music performers, shopping, arts, crafts, and more. The event starts at 5:30 pm and runs until 8:30. For KRPS, I’m Fred Fletcher-Fierro in Webb City