Holly Springs seeks input on downtown festival street plan
The Town of Holly Springs is seeking public feedback on a proposal that would change how a section of downtown Avent Ferry Road is used. The plan calls for the road between W. Ballentine and Center streets to become a flexible festival street that could also serve as an open-air plaza during special events.
The town announced the proposal July 9, 2026. It is asking residents to share their views through an online survey before the project advances further.
The proposal is not final construction approval. The town notice describes a planning and public-input effort, rather than a completed street conversion or a project with an announced construction schedule.
What the proposal would change
Under the concept, the Avent Ferry Road segment would receive new paving materials and enhanced landscaping. Those physical changes would support a street designed for more than routine vehicle movement.
The road could be closed to vehicles during special events, allowing the space to function as an open-air plaza. The town has not announced a regular schedule for those closures, and the proposal does not say that Avent Ferry Road would be permanently closed to traffic.
That flexibility is the central feature of the idea. The same downtown segment could continue to serve as a road in ordinary use while becoming a pedestrian-oriented public space when an event requires additional room. Any future implementation would therefore have to address how vehicle access and traffic management would work during those events.
The reviewed town notice does not provide a final design, construction cost or construction start date. It also does not identify how often the road might be closed or which specific events would use the space.
Connection to the Downtown Area Plan
The festival street idea was one of five community priorities identified during development of Holly Springs’ Downtown Area Plan. The plan’s stated vision includes a downtown where people can live, work and be entertained.
That connection places the Avent Ferry Road proposal within a broader discussion about how downtown Holly Springs should function. The project would add a public-space and event-use component to a central road, while also requiring the town to consider the practical effects of temporary closures on movement through the area.
The proposal does not, by itself, establish that downtown businesses will see higher sales or that the project will produce a specific economic result. The town notice supplied for this report does not include an economic-impact estimate.
What happens next
For now, the next step is public feedback through the town’s online survey. The approved notice does not provide a survey deadline, so the available information does not establish how long residents will have to respond.
If the concept moves forward, later town materials would need to clarify the design, project cost, construction timing and operating details. Those details would also show how the town plans to manage traffic when the street is used for events.
Residents are therefore being asked to comment while the idea remains under consideration. Holly Springs has identified the location, the proposed improvements and the possible event use, but the town has not announced final approval or a construction start date.
Sources
- Bringing the Party to the Pavement: Share Your Thoughts on the Downtown Festival Street, Town of Holly Springs
- Holly Springs News Flash, Town of Holly Springs
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