MONROE - The Monroe Police Department has issued information about street closing and parking for Cheese Days weekend, Sept. 17-19.
Street closings, and parking affected by the festival include:
• Spring Square parking lot closes at 5 p.m. Thursday. All vehicles must be moved for the carnival to set up on the site.
• The inside lane on the south side of the Square closes Wednesday at 5 p.m. for stage set up.
• All other inside lanes of the Square close at 6 a.m. Thursday.
• The outside lane of the north side of the Square will close at 6 a.m. Thursday in order to install a large tent in that lane. The east end of the 1500 block of 10th Street closes at 6 a.m. on Thursday, also for a large tent to be set up.
• All access to within one block of the Square will be closed at 6 a.m. on Friday.
• The 1500 to 1700 blocks of 12th Street, along the south edge of Spring Square, will be closed at noon on Friday, and will remain closed until 6 p.m. on Sunday. The 1200 blocks of 16th Avenue and 17th Avenue will also close at 6 a.m. on Friday.
• The Children's Parade will leave from Middle School at 5:30 p.m. Friday, travel up the east side of the Square (17th Avenue) to 9th Street, take 9th Street past Stop-N-Go and back south on 16th Avenue to the middle school.
• The Square will remain closed until Monday morning when it is expected the outside lanes will be back open for business traffic. The inside lanes of the square will remain closed until all items are removed.
• On Friday, immediately after the Children's Parade, the 1500 block of 12th Street, and the 1200 block of 16th Avenue will be used for motorcycle parking for the weekend.
• The Arts and Crafts Fair will be held in the middle school area on Saturday. The 1500 to 1600 blocks of 15th Street will be closed during daytime hours with barricades; 16th Avenue in the area will be posted for no parking and remains open.
• Farmer's Market is expected to be open at the old site at 15th Street and 16th Avenue on Saturday, in the area south of the middle school.
• The Cheese Days Chase, 5K-10K Fun Run and 2 Mile Walk Saturday morning at 8 a.m. is again expected to draw very large participation. The event begins from the Square. Police traffic control will be provided on and along the route. All motorists should expect delays on/along the route as police must stop traffic for safety purposes.
• Several special no-parking zones are effective on Sunday in anticipation of the parade and high traffic volumes. Most of these are in and around the fairgrounds area and will be posted.
• The entire Cheese Days Parade Route will be posted and must be cleared of all vehicles Sunday morning. The entire route will close at 11:30 a.m. It is expected the parade will be moved on to 10th Street from the fairgrounds to the area of 24th Avenue sometime shortly after noon and be held there for line-up before leaving for the square area around 12:30 p.m. and arriving on the south side of the Square at 12:45 p.m.
Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley also reminds people: large crowds are expected once again for all weekend events. Traffic and parking congestion will exist. All motorists are reminded to plan ahead and allow extra time during the weekend activities.
Sunday traffic and parking limitations will grow severe by mid- to late-morning. People coming to the parade must plan to arrive early. By mid-morning on Sunday, the highways and city streets will be extremely congested and parking availability will be limited. Late arrivals will not find parking anywhere near the parade route or the downtown activities.
Special handicapped parking areas have been set up at East School Park, in the Wisconsin Community Bank lot, in the First National Bank lot, in the Municipal Parking Lot located north of the Parking Ramp, and in the North Municipal Parking Lot, located on the north side of the Stop-N-Go store, including some van accessible stalls. The north parking lot and the lot near the ramp will be available all weekend. Vehicles must display an authorized handicapped permit to park in these areas.
Due to the nature of this large scale event and Monroe City Code, no other activities, including vending, other than those sanctioned by Green County Cheese Days, Inc., are permitted within those areas granted by permit for the control of the event.
On Friday and Saturday, there will be open plastic containers of beer or wine allowed on the cordoned off area of the Square itself, from noon to 11:30 p.m. on Friday; 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. on Saturday; and also on Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Persons should watch for signs indicating the allowed area.
People should also be aware that outside of the special designated area; there is no other relaxation of the existing City of Monroe open container ordinances during this event. City Code prohibits persons, other than with special permit, from being in possession of any alcohol beverage in any open container while in or upon any public street, sidewalk, alley, public way or area held out for public use. The ordinance will be enforced, municipal citations of about $264 will be issued. The department asks for voluntary compliance and use of caution in this activity.
Street closings, and parking affected by the festival include:
• Spring Square parking lot closes at 5 p.m. Thursday. All vehicles must be moved for the carnival to set up on the site.
• The inside lane on the south side of the Square closes Wednesday at 5 p.m. for stage set up.
• All other inside lanes of the Square close at 6 a.m. Thursday.
• The outside lane of the north side of the Square will close at 6 a.m. Thursday in order to install a large tent in that lane. The east end of the 1500 block of 10th Street closes at 6 a.m. on Thursday, also for a large tent to be set up.
• All access to within one block of the Square will be closed at 6 a.m. on Friday.
• The 1500 to 1700 blocks of 12th Street, along the south edge of Spring Square, will be closed at noon on Friday, and will remain closed until 6 p.m. on Sunday. The 1200 blocks of 16th Avenue and 17th Avenue will also close at 6 a.m. on Friday.
• The Children's Parade will leave from Middle School at 5:30 p.m. Friday, travel up the east side of the Square (17th Avenue) to 9th Street, take 9th Street past Stop-N-Go and back south on 16th Avenue to the middle school.
• The Square will remain closed until Monday morning when it is expected the outside lanes will be back open for business traffic. The inside lanes of the square will remain closed until all items are removed.
• On Friday, immediately after the Children's Parade, the 1500 block of 12th Street, and the 1200 block of 16th Avenue will be used for motorcycle parking for the weekend.
• The Arts and Crafts Fair will be held in the middle school area on Saturday. The 1500 to 1600 blocks of 15th Street will be closed during daytime hours with barricades; 16th Avenue in the area will be posted for no parking and remains open.
• Farmer's Market is expected to be open at the old site at 15th Street and 16th Avenue on Saturday, in the area south of the middle school.
• The Cheese Days Chase, 5K-10K Fun Run and 2 Mile Walk Saturday morning at 8 a.m. is again expected to draw very large participation. The event begins from the Square. Police traffic control will be provided on and along the route. All motorists should expect delays on/along the route as police must stop traffic for safety purposes.
• Several special no-parking zones are effective on Sunday in anticipation of the parade and high traffic volumes. Most of these are in and around the fairgrounds area and will be posted.
• The entire Cheese Days Parade Route will be posted and must be cleared of all vehicles Sunday morning. The entire route will close at 11:30 a.m. It is expected the parade will be moved on to 10th Street from the fairgrounds to the area of 24th Avenue sometime shortly after noon and be held there for line-up before leaving for the square area around 12:30 p.m. and arriving on the south side of the Square at 12:45 p.m.
Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley also reminds people: large crowds are expected once again for all weekend events. Traffic and parking congestion will exist. All motorists are reminded to plan ahead and allow extra time during the weekend activities.
Sunday traffic and parking limitations will grow severe by mid- to late-morning. People coming to the parade must plan to arrive early. By mid-morning on Sunday, the highways and city streets will be extremely congested and parking availability will be limited. Late arrivals will not find parking anywhere near the parade route or the downtown activities.
Special handicapped parking areas have been set up at East School Park, in the Wisconsin Community Bank lot, in the First National Bank lot, in the Municipal Parking Lot located north of the Parking Ramp, and in the North Municipal Parking Lot, located on the north side of the Stop-N-Go store, including some van accessible stalls. The north parking lot and the lot near the ramp will be available all weekend. Vehicles must display an authorized handicapped permit to park in these areas.
Due to the nature of this large scale event and Monroe City Code, no other activities, including vending, other than those sanctioned by Green County Cheese Days, Inc., are permitted within those areas granted by permit for the control of the event.
On Friday and Saturday, there will be open plastic containers of beer or wine allowed on the cordoned off area of the Square itself, from noon to 11:30 p.m. on Friday; 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. on Saturday; and also on Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Persons should watch for signs indicating the allowed area.
People should also be aware that outside of the special designated area; there is no other relaxation of the existing City of Monroe open container ordinances during this event. City Code prohibits persons, other than with special permit, from being in possession of any alcohol beverage in any open container while in or upon any public street, sidewalk, alley, public way or area held out for public use. The ordinance will be enforced, municipal citations of about $264 will be issued. The department asks for voluntary compliance and use of caution in this activity.