CUMBERLAND — Kyle Blake asked the city’s administration to host an antique car show on Baltimore Street this summer, and was told no.
The rejection of a downtown event request is at least the second in recent weeks.
On Tuesday, downtown resident and business owner Chris Myers, on behalf of Let’s Beautify Cumberland!, said city officials denied his application for a special event permit to close Baltimore Street for a Memorial Day parade to honor veterans.
Blake, president of the Queen City Region Antique Automobile Club of America, in February asked city officials if he could host his organization’s car show on a Sunday in July, and was rejected.
“We were denied before we could even apply,” he said, adding that the local branch of the national organization includes roughly 100 families and more than 200 cars.
A March email from the city clerk to Blake states “after conversations with the city administrator, it has been determined that Baltimore Street would not be the correct venue for a car show and we are unable to close it down in the middle of summer after just recently opening it to traffic and parking.”
City Administrator Jeff Silka did not respond to Cumberland Times-News questions about the issue.
Baltimore Street was a former pedestrian mall and was home to a variety of festivals and events.
From March 2023 until November, the street underwent a $17.2 million renovation, which opened it to one-way traffic.
City officials during the construction process said that upon the project’s completion, Baltimore Street could be closed if needed for special gatherings.
Blake, who also leads groups including the Greenhorn Region Antique Automobile Club of America and Tri-Valley Region Lambda Car Club International, has extensive experience hosting car shows, including on Baltimore Street.
A 2019 international show in the historic city center included 150 cars and roughly 250 people in Cumberland for a week, he said.
A lifelong Allegany County resident, Blake said he’s been to numerous festivals and shows on Baltimore Street in past years.
“There used to be an event there all the time,” he said.
City officials “even had a car display during their ribbon cutting,” Blake said of Baltimore Street’s grand opening after the construction project in November.
“We want to support the downtown (and) downtown businesses are very supportive of our events,” he said.
“We are part of the community,” Blake said. “To be locked out by gatekeepers … is quite sad.”
‘Good for business’
Becky McClarran is marketing chair of the Downtown Cumberland Business Association, co-op vendor at Fort Cumberland Emporium on Baltimore Street and an owner at McClarran and Williams Inc.
“As the center of Cumberland, the redesign of the Cumberland Historic City Center was planned to be multifunctional, allowing for traffic closings for qualified special events and activities,” she said.
“These events add a vibrancy and bring people, both local and visitors, downtown and to our city, bringing dollars to our retail shops and restaurants and increasing our reputation as an arts and entertainment center,” McClarran said.
“The city’s event committee needs criteria to weigh each event’s application on its benefits and costs,” she said.
Ed Mullaney was Cumberland’s downtown manager for 15 years and today co-chairs Let’s Beautify Cumberland!
Events on Baltimore Street are “good for business” and “showcase downtown,” he said.
Baltimore Street should include a mix of car traffic and closure for pedestrians at festivals and other gatherings, Mullaney said.
The Memorial Day parade has been a longstanding tradition in Cumberland, he said.
“I hope they reevaluate,” he said of the city’s position on the events requests. “Main Street needs a parade.”