Hoopfest players will take to downtown Spokane this weekend; heed street closures

Hoopfest, the largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament in the world, tips off at 8 a.m. Saturday for two days of street ball competition. Many of the downtown Spokane streets will be closed to accommodate the basketball courts and tens of thousands of players, families and friends who are expected to fill them.

Street closures for Hoopfest will start Friday at 7 p.m. and will be lifted Sunday at 10 p.m. Cars must be moved from these streets or they will be towed.

Because of the closures, vehicle access and parking will be in high demand; hence visitors to downtown are encouraged to use public transportation. Spokane Transit Authority will close the Downtown Plaza and set up alternative zones within the block radius of First Avenue, Stevens Street, Fourth Avenue and Wall Street. STA is providing two shuttle services to the Jefferson Lot under Interstate 90 and the Riverpoint campus/Gonzaga University’s Patterson Field Lot every 10 minutes.

Uber ride locations will be set up at Bernard Street and Riverside Avenue, and Howard Street and Dean Avenue.

Parking garages that will be open include the River Park Square, the Davenport Grand Hotel and the Parkade Plaza garages. To allow access to the Davenport Grand’s parking garage, two-way traffic will be allowed on Spokane Falls Boulevard from Bernard to Washington streets and Washington from Spokane Falls Boulevard to the garage entrance. Howard will be closed at Riverside, but access to the Parkade Plaza will be allowed. The Spokane Public Library parking lot and garage will be closed.

The following streets will be closed:

•Sprague Avenue from Howard Street to Lincoln Street

•Sprague and Riverside Avenue from Lincoln to Monroe Street

•Riverside and Main Avenue from Bernard Street to Lincoln

•Main from Browne Street to Bernard

•Spokane Falls Boulevard from Washington Street to Lincoln

•College, Broadway and Mallon avenues between Lincoln and Monroe

•Broadway from Post Street to Lincoln

•Mallon from Howard Street to Lincoln

•Dean Avenue from Washington to Howard

•Washington from North River Drive to Sprague

•Stevens Street from Spokane Falls Boulevard to the alley between Main and Riverside

•Howard from Spokane Falls Boulevard to Riverside

•Wall Street from Spokane Falls Boulevard to First Avenue

•Post from south of the Post Street Bridge to Spokane Falls Boulevard

•Post from Main to First

The following streets will be open:

•Sprague Avenue from Bernard to Howard

•Bernard through downtown Spokane

•Lincoln from First to Main