Downtown alleys are an often overlooked asset when trying to bring life and interest to a business district. As an ongoing asset or the location for a special event, more and more communities are discovering the potential of alleys. Alleys can be used for outside eating, small performing art events, artwork displays, etc. Go here to see what one town (Fargo, North Dakota) has been doing... http://alleyfair.tumblr.com/
While maybe not this elaborate; this site gives great ideas that can be tweaked to enhance smaller communities.
