First Friday: Recent violence prompt changes to Downtown Phoenix event

First Friday will see some changes after violence

First Friday, a staple Downtown Phoenix event will see some massive changes, with organizers pulling the plug on street closures and street vendors due to public safety concerns. FOX 10's Megan Spector reports.

PHOENIX - Big changes are coming to First Friday on Roosevelt Street in Downtown Phoenix, and it's a decision that organizers say is heavily due to recent violence.

What we know:

First Friday will not include the arts market street closure and vendor experience on Roosevelt Row for the foreseeable future. However, Roosevelt Row’s small businesses and galleries will continue to stay open on First Friday.

Local perspective:

First Friday typically fills Roosevelt Row with vendors, music, and thousands of people looking to check everything out, but more recently, there has been a shift.

"Over the years and more recently over the course of the last few months, there have been negative repercussions from that street closure," said RJ Price of Downtown Phoenix Inc.

Large fights and shootings have made public safety a major concern.

"Certainly the highest priority, public safety is always the highest priority," Price said. "So, anytime that people are getting hurt, in some cases losing their lives, that requires immediate and swift attention."

It is a shift the brick-and-mortar businesses on Roosevelt have felt too.

"We’ve seen fights, right up here from our balcony," said Donny Ades of Roro Dogs on Roosevelt Street. "We’ve seen about 300 teenagers gather in this parking lot across from us. And then random fights just broke out."

"Like, the last six months, it seems like every Friday was some type of bad happening," said Francess Fluelleyn. "Gun shots, fighting, just none of the things that were the family-friendly activities that used to go on here."

"With so many events happening during the First Friday weekend in April, we saw that as a golden opportunity to test what it would be like without the road closure, without the vendor experience. And there weren’t as many public safety incidents," said Price.

Dig deeper:

Some say even before these announced changes, First Fridays have changed.

"It's not what it used to be," said Briannan Gross, who has set up shop as a vendor during First Friday. "There were actual artists selling actual art and crafts and other things that they made."

"First Friday used to be all about art," said Tomisola Obada. "It used to be all about family, very family oriented, very family safe."

What's next:

Event organizers are continuing to take community feedback, as they work through a plan. They are working on another public listening session in May.