• Sadly the footpaths will be too hot for poochy pads, so Santa Paws had to be cancelled.

THE week-long Beaufort Street Christmas Festival wraps up today (Saturday December 14) with a pageant and twilight markets.

The strip’s had a bit of a bounceback in recent weeks: New business Greenhaus Yoga opened up at 580 Beaufort, the first to take advantage of Vincent council’s amnesty on “change of use” rules and convert offices in the old Beaufort Realty building into studio spaces.

Clarences also re-opened under new management, and Mack Daddy’s pizza expanded into the old Five Bar site, tripling its size.

The Beaufort Street Network was hoping to keep the momentum rolling with its week-long Christmas festival, but the heat’s made some events impossible.

“Santa Paws” dog photos with Father Christmas, planned for Thursday, has canned since the streets will be too hot to safely walk dogs (and Santa will be sweltering), and Saturday’s pop up fashion markets at Barlee Street carpark are also nixed.

“It’s going to be about 60 degrees at that carpark,” BSN chair Joshua O’Keefe says disappointedly.

The strip’s done it tough through rental vacancies and retail stagnation, but Mr O’Keefe says “our biggest enemy at the moment is weather”.

At this stage they’re still planning to go ahead with today’s pageant at 6pm and the twilight markets at St Alban’s Church.

“The venue around the church there is beautiful, covered in trees and grass, it’s a nice little spot to sit there.”

Keep an eye on the Beaufort Street Network Facebook page in case the temperature scorches those plans too. Mr O’Keefe says you’re still welcome in the pageant even if your costume has to make some concessions to the heat like board shorts or added ventilation.