Living in a modern Mayberry...

This weekend is the Shop Rock and Stroll event in downtown Milford, Michigan, which means that Main street is blocked off and there are inflatable jumpers and other things for kids to do while parents enjoy sidewalk sales and later listen to old fashion rock and roll while having a beer or a meal on the sidewalk or in the street. This is one of about 8-10 events that happen throughout the year in Milford for which Main Street is closed off.

That started me thinking about Milford as the epitome of Mayberry – the mythical town in the Andy Griffith TV series Mayberry RFD. Mayberry was one of those sleepy little towns where everybody knew everybody else and where I imagine that had parades and festivals, too; although I don’t recall that every being shown on the TV show. They had Floyd the barber and Gomer and Guber Pyle and Aunt Bee and Opie and lots of stereotypical friendly neighbors and friends. We have our own equivalents to many of the characters here is Milford, albeit more modern versions of most of the stereotypes.

Then there’re the events. We had the Fourth of July Parade last weekend, along with fireworks in nearby Kensington Metro Park. Those events were preceded by the Memorial Day parade a month earlier and the Little League Parade down Main Street before that. And, of course, in the fall we have the annual homecoming parade, complete with the King and Queen, down Main Street and a rally/parade for every home game of the local Milford High football team. Then there are the Ladies Night Out events in the Spring and Fall where the local merchants and eateries/bars rollout the red carpets for ladies who come to shop late and enjoy a night out.

This past Thursday (and every Thursday during the summer) there was the farmers market and a concert in the park. Next up is Milford Memories, our major street fair that occurs in August and then following that, in September, will be the Milford Home Tour, which is a weekend full of events – the Home Tour, an annual car show on Main Street (closed off again), a tractor show and this year a “Tin Can Campers” show out at nearby Camp Dearborn – something for everyone in the family. After that will be the Halloween parade up and down Main Street in which the kids parade in costume and the Main Street merchants hand out candy. The final big event of the year will be the Christmas parade, which occurs on the weekend following Thanksgiving.

Another thing that I love about Milford is that it does still have a useful downtown, where you can go to get more than knick-knacks or antiques or cutesy tourist stuff. There are real stores were real people can buy useful everyday items. Sure there are our destination restaurants, too; and that’s also a part of the charm. But there are clothing stores and shoe stores and toy stores and candy stores and dog treat stores and kitchen supplies stores and more. It is just some much more inviting and useful than a downtown completely devotes to cute, but worthless junk. Milford is also one of the most walkable places to live around. You can see Milford’s “walk score” and compare that to where you are at http://www.walkscore.com/ .

I mean, come on; is this Mayberry or what? You’d be hard pressed to find a more idyllic hometown in America than Milford and you’d certainly have a hard time finding one that has more going on week after week and month after month. I credit the very active and innovative groups at the Huron Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Development Authority and the Milford Historical Society for sponsoring and running these events. An active, vibrant town like Milford doesn’t just happen by accident and there are lots of people behind the scenes planning and coordinating and running these events. That’s why Milford, unlike Mayberry, is a happenin’ place to live and visit, not a sleepy little backwater. Somehow, I think Opie would have grown up and approved of Milford.