Face painting, live music, food, a bounce house and more proved a fun way to celebrate on West Washington Street Friday evening.

“It’s really just a celebration of continued revitalization of the downtown area,” said Kevin Hughes, economic development director for the city. “We wanted more people to experience it.”

Five businesses that have recently opened or will soon open on the ground floor on the south side of the street held ribbon-cuttings. They included Beauty-N-We, The Chop Shop, Leila Alexander Portraits and the rebranded Oasis Café Lounge, the former Toke Hookah Lounge. Eurnicka Artis is now the sole owner and changed the name to reflect the broader clientele she hopes to attract.

The fifth business, which had not been previously announced before Friday’s event, is the Art of Kake, a bakery by Suffolk native and Nansemond River High School graduate Keona Powell.

Powell learned to bake at her grandmother’s knee and went to culinary school after graduation from Nansemond River. She has previously run a bakery in Portsmouth.

“I closed it down because it was so slow,” she said. “I wanted to come back home.”

She will be offering custom-made cakes as well as cookies, jacks and a variety of other sweet treats.

“Thank you for bringing your business here,” Mayor Linda T. Johnson said to all of the business owners shortly before the ribbon cuttings. “This is a wonderful area of our city, this entire block.”

Kids enjoyed an inflatable obstacle course, face painting, popcorn and cotton candy while everybody got to enjoy food from East Coast Taco and Uncork’d, as well as music by 10 Spot.