Great Bend residents gathered Friday evening downtown for a ramped-up ice cream social.

Final Fridays on Forest have begun.

Barbecue, beer and yes, ice cream were dispensed at a steady pace to a background of live music provided by the Homebrew band from 5-7 p.m. as the one-block stretch of Forest was renamed Great Bend Alive Plaza for the evening.

The event was scheduled to last until 9 p.m. but “the wind went crazy” and everything shut down early, said Great Bend Publisher Judy Duryee. Minutes earlier, the Tribune ran out of ice cream its employees were giving away.

The early hours of Final Friday were a success. The social atmosphere was enhanced by high-top and standard height tables strewn throughout the street ringed by food and beverage vendors, with sign-ups for prizes and games for the kids.

Great Bend Alive Inc. is a non-profit group under the auspices of Great Bend Economic Development. The City Council approved GBED’s vision for the downtown entertainment zone last June. Trial runs began last August as electrical outlets were added for vendors’ convenience and permanent lights were placed on the trees. More bistro-style enhancements are in the works, noted GBED President Sara Hayden.

“It’s been a lot of work, but it’s been a labor of love for our group,” she said.

The Plaza will come alive each final Friday of the month from now through November.

“It’s a time and place for people to come out, socialize and have some food and some fun,” Hayden said.

For more information, call Hayden at 620-796-2407, or email director@gbedinc.com.