A large crowd was on hand as hundreds of balloons were released to signal the grand opening the Festival Market on July 25, 1986. The grand opening for $16 million development at West Main Street and North Broadway kicked off 10 days of festivities that allowed the public to become acquainted with the shops and restaurants located inside the 3-story marketplace. About 42 of the market’s 72 shops and restaurants were open. The development failed to generate sustained profit and the complex was sold for $600,000 in 1994 in an auction. Festival Market was rebranded in 1999 as Triangle Center, consisting primarily of offices with a few retail and restaurant entries, including Sawyer’s Downtown Restaurant and Grill. Photo by Frank Anderson | Staff