Thousands Expected At Portsmouth’s Market Square Day

(Portsmouth, NH) - Thousands of visitors are expected in downtown Portsmouth for the annual Market Square Day festivities on Saturday.

Now in it's 38th year, Market Square Day activities run from 9 am to 4 pm.

The event means road closures in the downtown area. Portsmouth Police have issued the following release:

Chief Mara will be invoking his ‘Emergency Powers” and orders that NO Parking will be permitted on the following Portsmouth streets on Saturday, June 11th, due to the Annual Market Square Day and Market Square Day Road Race.

MARKET SQUARE DAY

Market Square Day is Saturday (June 11th) and much of downtown Portsmouth will be vehicle-free and pedestrian-friendly. No parking will be allowed on several downtown streets between 4 a.m. and approximately 7 p.m. A $5 flat-rate parking fee will be collected from each vehicle entering the High-Hanover Parking Facility between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. Access the garage by turning from Market Street onto Hanover. Payment upon entry to the facility is expected to reduce delays for those leaving after the Market Square Day events. Free shuttle bus service will be available from the Festival’s parking overflow lot at The Mall at Fox Run from 8am-4:30pm.   Event details are at www.proportsmouth.org.

MARKET SQUARE DAY CLOSURES

The following streets will be closed from 4 a.m. until approximately 7 p.m. on Saturday (June 11th) for Market Square Day:  Congress Street;  Pleasant Street from State Street to Market Square; Market Street from Bow Street to Market Square; Daniel Street from Chapel/Penhallow Streets to Market Square; Fleet Street; Ladd Street; Chestnut Street; Porter Street (Church to Pleasant); Church Street; Penhallow Street; Ceres Street from Bow Street to Private Way; High Street from Congress Street to Ladd Street; and Hanover Street between Market Street and Maplewood Avenue except for access to the Parking Garage by turning from Market onto Hanover.

MSD RACE TRAFFIC INTERRUPTIONS

The Market Square 10K Road Race, which begins promptly at 9 a.m. on Saturday (June 11th), may cause periodic and significant traffic interruptions. Approximately 2,000 racers have registered. The race begins at the North Church, travels up Congress to Islington, to Summer to State to Bow to Market to Hanover to Maplewood to Dennett to Woodbury to Bartlett to Islington to Essex to Middle to South to Lafayette to Miller to Clough to Brackett to Haven to South to Marcy. The full route may be found at www.proportsmouth.org/MSDRoadRace.cfm.