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There’ll be dancing in the streets and parking spaces will be converted into miniature parks during a whimsical event to transform downtown Medford for an evening. On Sept. 21, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., local businesses and organizations will create PARK(ing) spaces, an idea that has taken off in other cities around America to do a temporary makeover of the parking spaces in the downtown area. “It’s whatever the imagination avails of you,” said former Mayor Lindsay Berryman, spokeswoman for the Downtown Medford Association. Last Friday, Berryman helped with the entertainment in the downtown, crooning on the microphone and dazzling audiences with her fancy footwork. She’s also involved in The Dancing and Dining in the Streets series from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. every Friday night in September. The idea is to take a seat at an outside venue downtown, wherever you like the entertainment. On the table is a menu from different restaurants and phone number to order. Your food will be delivered to your table. The dancing and dining event, which attracted 130 people last Friday night, is a partnership of the Downtown Medford Association and ACCESS Inc. She said the hope is that the events will attract people from all generations into the downtown. “It’s an alternative way of using our open spaces and streets and alleys,” she said. To date, businesses and organizations have signed up to use different themes to convert 13 parking spaces into PARK(ing) spaces. Edam Gomez, transportation demand management planner for Rogue Valley Transportation District, said RVTD plans to put down some artificial lawn, bring some lawn furniture, offer some music and feature lawn games. “All that in one spot,” he said. Inn at the Commons plans to have a kiddie pool,’ he said. “It’s a fun, different sort of event than we’ve seen in the past,” Gomez said. “It should get people to walk downtown and see there are things to do.” The parking space idea got its start in San Francisco in 2004 and now has spread to other cities, including Portland. Some of those who will converting the parking spaces include Southern Oregon University, Rogue Community College, Astral Games and the Jackson County Library. This is the first year that Medford and ACCESS have sponsored the parking space event. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected]. Follow him on www.twitter.com/reporterdm.