Park Avenue in Winter Park cancels street closure for Father's Day celebrations

Street closure on Park Avenue for Father’s Day canceled

Winter Park closed Park Avenue on Mother's Day to extend outside seating but they will not be doing it again on Father's Day.

WINTER PARK, Fla. - A plan to close Park Avenue on Father’s Day to allow for more outdoor dining space on the street has been canceled by the city.

It was a big hit back on Mother's Day, as outdoor dining expanded onto Park Avenue in Winter Park.

Store owner Craig DeLongy said he would have liked to see it again, telling FOX 35 Orlando that "it was really a great weekend for Mother's Day for all the restaurants and the fact that they were going to expand into the street and increase their square footage and safe distancing again -- I’m disappointed."

MORE NEWS: Florida sees second-highest daily increase with more than 2,600 new cases

The good news though is that Winter Park Communications Director Clarissa Howard said that outdoor dining will still take place. They have just canceled closing the street for the 'Dads and Grads' weekend because of the rising numbers in COVID-19.

Now that Florida is in phase two of reopening, she said it "allows restaurant and retail to have 50 percent capacity and socially distant protocols. And 100 percent capacity outdoors."

She added that "phase two happened after we had announced the Grads and Dad’s weekend."

MORE NEWS: Coronavirus: 16 people test positive after night out at Florida bar

Customer Ruth Wallace said that "when you look at the restaurants outside they’re pretty full, so they obviously don’t need more and it’s very hot."