Need to Know: Day On the Town Sets Up Shop in Birmingham

Black Friday is busy. So is Small Business Saturday.

But when it comes to celebrating businesses in Birmingham, it's all about Day on the Town.

Saturday, the streets of downtown Birmingham shut down for , the annual citywide sidewalk sale featuring dozens of downtown merchants.

Described as a 12-hour "power sale," Day on the Town invites Birmingham merchants to bring their wares into the streets and sidewalks of downtown Birmingham, selling them at deep discounts all day long.

"Day on the Town draws large crowds from all over the Metro Detroit area," said director John Heiney. "It's packed full with excitement and activities from sun-up to sun-down. Birmingham is the place to be on July 28."

Will you be heading downtown for Day on the Town? Here's what you need to know before you go:

The basics: Free parking available on the street, in garages

When: 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

Where: Downtown Birmingham (rain or shine)

Road closures: Maple Road will be closed from Bates to Peabody, while Old Woodward will close at Oakland and Merrill, by the . Meanwhile, the Pierce and Merrill loop will also be closed between South Old Woodward and Maple.

Parking: Parking will be free at any of the city's five parking structures, while meters will also be free all day.

New this year: Make sure to check out several health and fitness-related vendors on South Old Woodward between Maple and the Birmingham 8, while non-profits will be clustered on the west side of Woodward, north of Maple.

For the kids: Find a bike parade, clowns and more

The day begins with the sixth annual Kids Bike Parade. At 8:30 a.m., kids can celebrate with a bike-decorating contest in front of the festival's Kids Zone tent, located on Merrill near South Old Woodward. Contest categories include most creative, most patriotic, most fashionable and wackiest.

Then, the parade kicks off. Accompanying the bikes will be Roary, the mascot for the Detroit Lions, the and the Birmingham Brass Band.

The parade is sponsored by , , and .

The party continues at the Kids Zone tent all day long, with visiting clowns, magicians and other wandering entertainers. Various activities, such as arts and crafts, face-painting, a climbing wall and moon bounce, will also be provided.

For the music lovers: More than a dozen performers lined up

Make sure to check out four live entertainment stages set up around town. On the schedule is:

• Studio A
• New Generation Twirlers
• Bill the Magician
• The Stares
• Tola Lewis
• Sheila Landis
• Sara Covatta
• John Latini
• Callaghan Smerek
• Halfway Home
• Sinjon Smith
• Mark Daisy
• Leah Lavigne
• At Average
• Demonstration from Malota's Martial Arts Studio
• Performance by the Village Youth Theatre

For car lovers: Car clubs to set up on North Old Woodward

While you're shopping, check out a preview of the with a special display of classic cars. Car clubs will be parking on North Old Woodward nearly , including cars from the North Oaks Corvette Club and display vehicles from and .