MARSHALL — Organizers of a new event are hoping people will enjoy an evening in Marshall’s downtown.

The first of three “Eats and Beats” events will kick off at 6 p.m. Thursday with food vendors and live music on Third Street. The event ends at 8 p.m.

“We really wanted to get together and do a partnership, and get some events downtown,” said Marshall Parks and Recreation Superintendent Preston Stensrud.

The city worked together with Discover Marshall, Small Town Events LLC and local sponsors to make those events happen.

“We have three different music groups,” as well as different food vendors coming, Stensrud said. On Thursday, music will be provided by the Broken Oak, a folk rock band from southwest Minnesota.

More Eats and Beats events ware scheduled for July 17 and Aug. 7. Stensrud said it worked out that there weren’t other events scheduled for those nights, and organizers hoped that it would encourage people to come downtown.

Although Eats and Beats is scheduled on Thursday evenings, Stensrud said the event is different from Thursdays on Third. The emphasis is mainly on the combination of food and music.

“Hopefully, it’s something we can build off of,” Stensrud said.

When the city of Marshall reconstructed parts of Lyon and Third Streets in 2023, the layout on one block of Third Street was changed to make it more pedestrian friendly. In the past couple of years, the area has been used to host events like Thursdays on Third, and the food truck festival at Marshall’s Juneteenth celebrations.