New London — A portion of Bank Street will be closed to traffic from 4 to 10 p.m. Wednesday as downtown is transformed for another in a series of “Eat in the Street” events.

Downtown restaurants will participate in the event with a “Golden Ticket and Chocolate Night” theme, offering a sampling of treats that includes dark caramel crunch with sea salt, chocolate margaritas and candied jalapeño quesadilla appetizers.

Wednesday's event starts at 5 p.m. and a fireworks display sponsored by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation will begin at 9 p.m. from atop the Water Street parking garage. Hygienic Art will be showing "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" in the Art Park.

“This is a great way to get back out and enjoy our restaurants with their varied and wonderful cuisine options and to stroll, mingle and rediscover the excitement of our beautiful and historic downtown,” Mayor Michael Passero said in a statement. “We decided to host these smaller socially distant 'Eat in the Street' events to ease the loss of Sailfest for yet another year due to the pandemic.”

If you spend $25 at a participating business, you will receive a Whaling City Chocolate Bar. Some bars will contain a highly coveted Golden Ticket, which can be turned in for gift certificates to local businesses. Also, Golden Tickets will be put in a drawing for a limousine ride to Foxwoods for an overnight stay and dinner for two.

There will be a special event parking rate of $5 at the Water Street Parking Garage.

“Eat in the Street” events are held on the first Wednesday of every month, and they will run through September. For added ease, a free shuttle bus will be downtown, dropping off and picking up people at the Water Street Parking garage, Tony D's, The Draft Choice, General Dynamics, the Green Room and Bank Street.

For more information, visit bit.ly/dtnlassoc.