With the exception of a small crowd by City Hall, the atmosphere on the Downtown Mall as of early afternoon remains relatively quiet despite President Obama’s visit to the Pavilion this evening to support of Democratic Congressman Tom Perriello. The Bluemont Country Store and Baggby’s, for instance, intend to continue business as usual during the day and stay open late this evening to accommodate the crowds until sales slow down.
The restaurants aren’t the only ones preparing for the president’s visit. Racquel White, a Downtown Mall vendor, has Obama memorabilia to sell specifically for today’s events. White says the memorabilia was not available for purchase at her stand until today.
The free trolley will run as regularly scheduled today until 6:25pm. At that time, the last trolley will leave from the Downtown Transit station, and the service will not resume until 8:45pm this evening. The Charlottesville Area Transit has also altered their service schedule today and road closures and restricted parking will take effect as the day progresses.
