Petersburg's main parking lot sits on Center Street between Saline and Wood streets. Most of the time it looks like any small-town lot. For about two and a half years, though, it has also been the town's market, its meeting place and its Halloween stage.
The Petersburg Event Committee picked the spot in 2024 for a plain reason. "We chose the main lot on Center Street, since that is where most of the local business are, and it's the main lot in town," Kylie Schroeder, the committee's president, told The Monroe News that June. This fall the city is repaving and rebuilding the ground around that choice. The paving, the new sidewalks and the park equipment arriving this season all serve a calendar that a volunteer group started building from scratch in late 2023.
A Lot With a Second Job
The committee formed in November 2023. Its first events were Christmas activities and an Easter Bunny Breakfast. In May 2024 it launched what The Monroe News described as possibly Petersburg's first-ever farmers market. The market came from residents. Schroeder said the community suggested it, and the city board then brought the idea to the committee.
That first market, held over Memorial Day weekend 2024, had 24 vendors, one food truck and an estimated 75 shoppers. The committee soon filled the main lot and spilled into the lot next door to make room for more vendors.
Two seasons later the market is bigger. At the September 8, 2026 council meeting, Jessica Johnson-Cribbs of the committee reported that the August market drew 38 vendors. That's 14 more than opening day in 2024. The council also discussed where to put food vendors at the season's final market on September 30. On September 21, Jessica Cribbs said 25 vendors had signed up for that last market so far.
Halloween was in the plan early on. In 2024 the committee said Trunk-or-Treat would use the same location as the market and would include a trunk contest with a prize. This year's city calendar lists Trunk-or-Treat for October 31 at the Downtown Petersburg Center Lot. The start time hasn't been announced.
The Pavement Is Catching Up
The downtown public works came from a single council decision. On June 1, 2026, the council reviewed bids for the downtown sidewalks, the alley, the parking lot and the River Dale catch basins. It split the work between two contractors.
| Project | Contractor | Status in council minutes |
|---|---|---|
| City parking lot paving | Pro Finish | Expected to wrap up the week of Sept. 8, weather permitting |
| Alley paving | Pro Finish | A couple of corrections still to be made as of Sept. 21 |
| Downtown sidewalk replacement | Eric Strickland | Scheduled to begin the week of Sept. 21 |
| River Dale catch basins | Eric Strickland | Awarded June 1 |
The sidewalks waited for the electric work underneath them. Mayor Kevin Richards said in June that DTE would replace the caps and conduit for the light poles in the replacement areas. He warned that coordinating with DTE could push the project into fall, and it did. In August, council members also noted that a couple of sections of sidewalk in town had shifted, and asked the DPW to deal with them.
The timing works out. If the sidewalk crews stay on schedule, people walking downtown on Halloween night and on November 21 will be on new concrete or right next to it.
The city's tree work fits with the rest. In September the council hired Pirolli Property Maintenance to take down two dying trees on E. Center and Rose Road for $2,200. It hired Cress Tree Service to remove a walnut tree on W. Railroad Street for $2,250, and the DPW will grind the stumps. The council also approved five to six new trees from Bedford Lawn & Snow at $225 each. Joanne Tollison will oversee the purchase, and the DPW will plant them.
What Lines the New Sidewalk
The newest storefront on the block opened this year. Amy Pelleteri opened Serendipity Java at 74 E. Center St. in February 2026, after 31 years as a Toledo police officer. She told The Monroe News:
"It's been my goal to put in a coffee shop here for 10 years."
The shop serves beans from Creation Coffee, a small roaster in Midland. Pelleteri does all of the baking herself, and she says customers tend to choose her giant cookies and brownies. The menu also includes breakfast foods, sandwiches and hand-scooped ice cream. The shop's website takes pickup orders and lists these hours: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. At 6 a.m. on weekdays, it's open well before the library or most anything else on Center Street.
A few doors west is Walnut Grill and Tavern at 46 E. Center St. Its owner, Mike Ramey, came to the July 6 council meeting after a storm left the restaurant without power. Mayor Richards said he would contact the city's DTE representative.
The Summerfield-Petersburg Library at 60 E. Center St. is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It's closed Sunday. With the coffee shop, the restaurant and the library, Center Street has places to go at almost any hour of the day.
The Parks Are Next in Line
The September 8 minutes also point to where the committee may go next. Connie Jensen reported that the Duck Race was very successful and drew a good turnout. Jessica Johnson-Cribbs said it has the potential to grow into a Fernstrom Park Family Festival. The city has been getting Fernstrom Park ready for that kind of crowd all year:
- Fernstrom Park: A community service group cleared the wooded pathway in late spring. By mid-August, Jordan Cress had dropped off four more loads of wood chips for the path, and the new charcoal grill was in place. The work crew was scheduled to return September 26. The summer Kids' Camp there drew 15 children each day.
- Perry Park: In July, a council member asked for the large red swing to be repaired and repainted. The new slide was expected by the end of August. As of September 21, the slide and three new spring bouncers were due to be picked up that Friday. That means installation was still ahead at the time.
- Veterans Park: The council is deciding where to put a bench and a new park sign. Councilperson Stella Kirby has contacted Unique Design Screenprinting about possible sign designs.
None of this is a big capital project. It's a slide, three spring bouncers, a grill, wood chips and a bench. But the improvements land in the same parks the event committee is now talking about using.
The Calendar From Here
With the paving mostly finished and the sidewalk work underway, here's what's on the schedule through November:
- October 9: Baby Group from 9:15 to 9:45 a.m. and Fun Fridays from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Summerfield-Petersburg Library.
- October 10 and 11: If you want a nearby day trip, the Apple Festival at Kapnick Orchards, 4245 Rogers Hwy. in Britton, runs 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. It includes U-pick apples and pumpkins and wagon rides.
- October 14: Petersburg Book Club from 4 to 5 p.m. and Novels at Night from 6 to 7 p.m. at the library.
- October 16: Homeschool STEM Storytime from 11 a.m. to noon, DIY Slime Day from noon to 2 p.m., and K-Pop Club from 6 to 8 p.m. at the library.
- October 31: Trunk-or-Treat at the Downtown Petersburg Center Lot on Halloween evening. The committee said sign-ups and promotion would start soon.
- November 21: Hometown Holidays, per the event committee's report to the council. The city calendar lists it at the Downtown Petersburg Center Lot, with the time still to be announced.
The city may also take a more formal role downtown. At the August 17 meeting, Mayor Richards gave the council written and verbal information about Petersburg's possible future involvement with a Downtown Development Authority. No decision has been recorded yet. The topic is now on the same council agenda that has spent this year on the lot, the alley, the sidewalks and the parks.
If you own a home near Center Street, or you're thinking about one, I keep up with what the council approves for downtown Petersburg and can explain what it means for your property. Reach out to Jacob Levicki with a question about a block, a project or a timeline. Let's Connect.
