OUR OPINION: Hillsborough Street needs events like these in order to grow, and the only way to help it grow is to plan ahead.

About 2,000 people attended the Hillsborough Street Renaissance Saturday — much fewer than the planners’ estimate of 20,000 people.

Though rain and cold weather are partially to blame for the scant turnout for the Hillsborough Street Renaissance, those in charge should have been prudent when it came to the planning of the event.

For an event like this to become a tradition and a success, there needs to be preparation, which includes a comprehensive rain plan and a better date.

Planners of the Hillsborough Street Renaissance sent out Facebook messages that told attendees the event was still going on, despite the 43 degree temperature and rain.

Though Facebook is an effective tool for reaching out to students and young adults in the area, the Hillsborough Street Renaissance was also marketed as a family event. The planners should have used its Web site to let people know the event was still going on and reassure them that the rain would not affect the goings on.

With continued efforts and hard work, the Hillsborough Street Renaissance can become a big event like Artsplosure in Raleigh, the N.C. Seafood Festival in Morehead City or the Merlefest in Wilkesboro. After all, getting Hillsborough Street to close down for an all-day event for the first time in 217 years is a big achievement. But, all of the preceding events take place in warmer times of the year, such as April, early October or May. Having the event at a time when temperature is not going to be a hindrance to attendees is a change that needs to be made.

The Hillsborough Street Renaissance is a great idea and is a great way to help make Hillsborough Street a desirable place to visit, and we have faith it will come back with vengeance next year but only if it is planned well and the planners of the event have good communication with attendees. Students and anyone who wants to see Hillsborough Street grow should support events like the Hillsborough Street Renaissance and Hillsborough Hikes.

Also, overestimating the number of people who are going to attend the event could be detrimental. The planners overestimated the number of people who were going to attend by 18,000 people –that’s almost 90 percent. We ask the planners to be realistic in the future when estimating the number of attendees, otherwise the City of Raleigh will be less inclined to allow Hillsborough Street to close for events.

We have confidence the Hillsborough Street Renaissance has the potential to become one of the biggest events in North Carolina, but that potential can only be met with better, smarter planning.