A fun and tasty event will return to downtown Fort Dodge Friday. Main Street Fort Dodge is orchestrating Lunch on the Square from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The goal is to get more people to come downtown to enjoy a festive lunch hour and also spend some time in the shops that are revitalizing the traditional commercial heart of the city. The outstanding green space of the City Square affords a fine venue for this event.

There will be three Lunch on the Square gatherings this summer. The first is Friday. The others will be the same hours on July 30 and Aug. 27.

The cost of the meal is $6. Tomorrow’s menu is pulled chicken sandwiches, potato salad, chips, dessert and water.

Money raised from Lunch on the Square will go toward funding free and low-cost future events downtown.

The lunches will provide more than just an opportunity to eat. There will also be entertainment. On Friday, Clint Riedel from the Blue Ribbon Ramblers will perform.

The sponsors of the event are Dariette, Tillie’s Quilts, Dungeons & Dodgers, Fort Dodge Fine Arts Association, Edward Jones – Gabe Pettit, Mary Kay’s Gifts & Home Decor, Merle Norman, Real Deals on Home Decor, River Hops Brewing, Rush Hour Clothing Co., Shiny Top Brewing and Studio Fusion.

The Messenger enthusiastically supports Lunch on the Square. We urge our readers to make plans to join in the fun Friday. This promises to be a great way to grab a tasty lunch, enjoy being outdoors on a fine summer day and sample some exceptional entertainment. It’s also an opportunity to get reacquainted with downtown Fort Dodge if you haven’t spent time there lately.

And after this Friday, we suspect you’ll want add to your calendar noontime on the last Friday of July and August. Lunch on the Square is something not to be missed.