photo by: Richard Gwin

Shoppers check out the deals at Sunflower Outdoor and Bike Shop, 804 Massachusetts St., during the Downtown Lawrence Sidewalk Sale, Thursday, July 16, 2015.

Downtown Lawrence’s traditional sidewalk sale is gone, but its replacement — part sale, part street festival — is set to make its debut today.

Mid Summer Night on Mass will run from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. today throughout downtown Lawrence.

According to organizers at Downtown Lawrence Inc., more than 40 retailers and restaurants will have special Mid Summer Night specials as part of the event. Visitors also should look for multiple street performers and musicians whom organizers have invited to the event. Longtime coffee shop and bar The Bourgeois Pig has received city approvals to host a block party in the downtown area during the event.

Members of Downtown Lawrence Inc. decided to create the Mid Summer Night event after determining its traditional sidewalk sale — which was held on the third Thursday of July for about 60 years — perhaps was being hosted in the wrong month and during the wrong time of day.

The traditional sidewalk sale, held from sunup to sundown, was often hampered by heat. Organizers of Mid Summer Night previously have said they hoped the evening-oriented event would mitigate some of those concerns, and they wanted a broader theme for the event that promoted deals at both retailers and restaurants.

Indeed, retailers and restaurants are slated to participate in today’s event, but the weather will still be something visitors will want to keep an eye on. The local forecast calls for a high of 90 degrees when the event starts at 4 p.m., with temperatures forecast to drop to about 80 degrees by the event’s close.