The messages were not subtle, and they popped up everywhere along Main Street, painted on park benches and propped in shop windows: Alive. Hope. Dream Big.

And they fit exactly what everyone seemed to feel the first Thursday evening in June: good vibrations.

In my hometown of Manchester, Connecticut, an organization called Imagine Main Street hosts some sort of downtown event the first Thursday of every month year-round, all designed to bring people into the downtown historic district and support local small businesses and restaurants.

Weather permitting, they even involve strolling along Main Street in the winter months to shop and enjoy live music. But the event the first week of June really kicks off the summer season. Strollin’ on Main lured us downtown June 6 to enjoy the quintessential summer evening — brilliant blue skies, warm temperatures and low humidity, perfect for an open-air event.

People of all ages were smiling and strolling, browsing the vendors selling handcrafted items (everything from jewelry to birdhouses to handmade soaps and hand-painted sneakers) and bebopping to a different style of live music on each block. Kids loved the horse and wagon rides, and grown-ups chilled out with chair massages. Giant Java puppets paraded down the sidewalks, adding to the carnival vibe. And a sense of community continued as people sat at sidewalk cafés, soaking in the refreshing air and sampling good wines, local brews and special cocktails, long after the official festivities closed.

It all added up to a delightful evening of ease — and a signal to start dreaming big about the summer to come!

— Jan Hecht, senior editor