Jennifer Ornsbee and Todd Ornsbee serve up chips and salsa at La Cantina shortly after the start of 2023's Key Ingredients event in Hancock.

HANCOCK — Some of the best local food, arts and music in the Keweenaw will be within a few minutes’ walk Friday night in Hancock.

The annual Key Ingredients event runs from 6 to 8 p.m. This year’s lineup includes 10 musicians and food samples from numerous local restaurants.

It’s held the night before the annual Canal Run. While there had once been pasta dinners to welcome the many people coming from out of the area, that had faded away, said Todd Gast, downtown development manager for Hancock.

“The City of Hancock found an opportunity to throw a party for those people who are visiting, and throw a party for our residents, and have a free taste of our wonderful restaurants that are here, and also enjoy our local music scene,” said Gast. “We just thought it was a perfect partnership between Key ingredients and the City of Hancock to celebrate Canal Run.”

Some of the favorites being cooked up for Friday include pizza bites from 5th & Elm Café & Studio Pizza, ‘za rolls from Gino’s Restaurant & Lounge, small strawberry shortcakes from Griffin Cafe and the famous scones of Sunflower Books & Coffee. La Cantina Restaurant, The Forge Food Smith, Nisu Bakery & Cafe, Keweenaw Co-op, Nutini’s Supper Club, Wolvenwood Axe Bar, K.C. Bonker’s and Copper Shores Meals on Wheels are all participating.

No matter where they are on Quincy Street, people will be able to hear live music. Bling Crosby will have a stage set up at Quincy Green. Elsewhere on the street, musicians will include Vanessa Dulong, Bob Hiltunen & Friends for Jazz Music, Jan Arnold, Jack Chamberlain, Mike Irish, Steven Wright and Maggie Brotherton.

“We try to space everything out nice and equal, so there’s no competition,” Gast said.

The attractions aren’t limited to food and music. Local artists will demonstrate their processes outside the Copper Country Community Arts Center and ilo shop.

People can see all that without dodging traffic. For the second year, Quincy Street will be blocked off and closed to vehicle traffic between Reservation Street and M-203. People are asked to get their vehicles off the street before it closes at 5:30 p.m. Friday; the street will remain closed for the next three hours.

A shorter stretch of the street will be blocked off Saturday morning for Canal Run, the city announced. From 7 to 11 a.m., Quincy Street will be closed from City Hall to M-203.

With no cars on the street for three hours, it’s made Quincy Street safer and more wide-open, making Key Ingredients more popular than ever, Gast said.

“When we closed Quincy Street last year, we really felt that it opened up Quincy Street to become more of a street fair,” Gast said. “That really brought people out. Also because it’s coming off of COVID, people were really ready to socialize more. We got so many thank yous from residents that they really had a wonderful time. Key Ingredients has grown, and it’s something people look forward to doing in the summer to celebrate our local businesses and restaurants and our local music scene.”