Where else can you drink from a Smoking Cauldron Punch Bowl, dress as your favorite dead celebrity, take a hayride AND shop until Midnight? Uptown Westerville, of course! The Westerville Uptown Merchants Association and the Westerville Visitors and Convention Bureau invite you and your family to Midnight Madness on Friday, October 27, 2006, along the streets of this historic district.
Uptown Westerville's unique gift and specialty shops will be open until Midnight for your late-night shopping pleasure and there will be fun activities, hayrides, street vendors and entertainment for the whole family from 6-9pm.
Gallery 202, 38 N. State St., Upstairs, will celebrate its merger with the Westerville Arts Center with a costume contest. All ages are invited to have their costumes judged at 8pm. The Gallery will also feature an "Old, Fun and Funky Costume Exhibit" to bring back memories and get your gears turning for next year! Don't forget to look for your favorite Scarecrow, created by Uptown businesses and sponsored by Gallery 202. And at 9pm, come and be a part of a fun karaoke evening led by Wade Meyer from the Watson Store also at Gallery 202.
Qten Gallery, 43 E. College Ave., and David Myers Art Studio and Gallery, 3 W. Main St., will feature visual arts exhibits and there will be performances by Generations Performing Arts Center on W. College Ave. from 6-7:15pm and Sounds Educational Center in front of the Municipal Building from 5-8:30pm.
Enjoy live music by The Ransom Band at N. State and E. Home Streets and from Judas Cow and The Handshake brought to you by the Westerville Bike Shop, 29 W. Main St.
The Westerville Fire Department will have it's emergency vehicles on display and the Westerville Public Library will host "Story Time" from 6:30-8:30pm at the "Magical Reading Swing" on E. College Ave. Naturalists from Sharon Woods Metro Parks will talk about local woodland creatures and have nature-themed children's activities available. Kids will also have the chance to talk with Civil War re-enactors about their clothing and what life was really like in the 19th Century.
New to this year's event is the Dead Celebrity 5K Run/Walk, presented by Brooks and Run Wild Racing. Both families and serious runners alike can participate in this event, which begins at 7pm on W. College Ave., just a block from Uptown. Make sure you come dressed as your favorite Dead Celebrity for a chance at prizes for the best male and female. Each participant will receive a black long-sleeved Brooks Podium technical shirt and a race packet with their registration fee. For more information on the race, go to www.runwildracing.com.
Uptown Eateries will be open for business and WUMA member businesses invite you to stop by for special features. Michael's Pizza, 15 E. College Ave., will feature popcorn and elephant ears. Foul Play Mystery Book Shop, 27 E. College Ave., will serve punch from a Smoking Cauldron and Edward Jones will hold its Money Tree Drawing. The Old Bag of Nails Pub, 24 N. State St., will also have goodies available.
For more information on Midnight Madness contact Glenda Mihaly, WVCB Coordinator, at 614-794-0401, gmihaly@visitwesterville.org or Renee Kropat at Gallery 202, 614-890-8202, programs@gallery202online.com.
