While people nationwide are filling out their brackets and trying to determine which teams will have an upset, the Downtown Business & Professionals Association is trying to have a Cinderella season of their own.

The association, a non-profit corporation, is organized to promote the businesses in downtown. Membership in the association gives businesses the chance to highlight their offerings through the many downtown promotions scheduled throughout the year, like their upcoming pub crawl. Downtown events attract thousands of people per year to visit, shop, and dine. During their Wine Walk event alone, more than $5,000 was raised for the continued improvements of they city’s downtown area. Participants in the March 24 Dribble Downtown Pub Crawl include, Off the Vine, The Ice Box, The Starving Rooster, The Blue Rider, The Tap Room, Ebeneezers, Roosters and Souris River Brewing.

Chris Lindbo, president of the DBPA, points out the last 20 years have not seen a lot of investment in the downtown area until the last few years.

His goal is to not only attract an older crowd, but young patrons as well. “We’ve seen what happens across the country,” said Lindbo, referring to the trend of “live-work-play” developments increasing in popularity. “We’re in a good position now to get things turned around downtown.”

Lindbo hopes to find some bigger partners to invest in the downtown area. “If we could do that it’d really help,” he said.

Lindbo believes it makes more sense to revitalize established infrastructure, not only to preserve history but fiscally as well. “What people didn’t think about putting malls in outlying areas isn’t initial cost but maintenance,” said Lindbo.

One concern that the DBPA has is that people will be deterred from going downtown during the recent construction taking place. Lindbo assures that, while the scaffolding gives the appearance of closed storefronts, every shop along Main Street will still be open for business.

The Downtown Dribble Pub Crawl will take place Thursday, March 24 at 6 p.m. $15 tickets are available at The Ice Box and Off The Vine and include drink specials at each participating bar.