The streets of downtown Spokane were a little livelier than usual during lunch hour in mid-June.

That’s thanks to the return of Street Music Week, an annual, week-long showcase of musicians, professional and amateur, playing to raise money to feed people through Second Harvest, which leads a hunger-relief network in 26 counties in the region.

The event runs from noon to 1 p.m. every weekday, in downtown Spokane, the Garland District and downtown Coeur d’Alene. Performers do not need to sign up in advance.

“It’s pretty exciting to see a street music culture start to thrive,” said Spokane musician Tommy Gant.

Gant has come to the past five events to play what he calls nostalgic ’70s soft-rock favorites, like James Taylor, Bob Dylan and John Denver. He’ll be playing on Monday at noon at the Satellite Diner.

Hosting the festival is Doug Clark, a former Spokesman-Review columnist who began the event as a way to promote street music, and featured it in his column starting in 2003.

“For a lot of musicians that come, it’s their first performance in front of a live audience,” Clark said. “It’s a good way to just get some confidence and do it for a good cause.”

In the past, performers have included a second-place world accordion champion, and Myles Kennedy, a famous musician who grew up in Spokane.

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