Uptown Westerville is a Place for Midnight Madness in the News, Part 1

Check out Midnight Madness details in ThisWeek Community Newspapers Westerville Edition:

Halloween event to take over Uptown on Oct. 30

Wednesday, October 21, 2009 2:56 PM

By JENNIFER NESBITT
ThisWeek Staff Writer

Uptown Westerville will celebrate Halloween a day early this year when the Westerville Uptown Merchants Association hosts its annual Midnight Madness event from 7 p.m. to midnight Oct. 30.

During that time, Uptown shops will decorated for Halloween and will be open late. They also will have treats, and some shops will have special Halloween-related events.

Also in Uptown, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., there will be activities for children, who are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes.

The Westerville divisions of police and fire will have displays and interactive activities for children during that time.

The Generations Performing Arts Center, 11 W. College Ave., will have a Midnight Madness open house, which will begin with performances by its students from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

There also will be Halloween stories read by Westerville Public Library representatives at Amish Originals, 38 N. State St., face-painting at A Girl Name CindaLou, 20 N. State St., and a greyhound experience at DJ's Feed Store, 41 N. State St.

Dairy Queen, 84 S. State St., will have a community pumpkin display, where individuals, groups and businesses can show off their decorated pumpkins.

As part of the Black Catwalk Costume Contest, Midnight Madness attendees can model their costumes in an emceed fashion show in the City Hall courtyard for a chance to win a $25 gift card to Uptown businesses. Categories for the contest include kid, teen, adult, family and dog.

Also during Midnight Madness, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., there will be horse-drawn hayride through Uptown.

Those attending Midnight Madness can get something to eat as part of a Twisted Taste of Westerville. Uptown restaurants will be open during the event, and bratwurst will be for sale to benefit Westerville Sertoma.

Two events new to Midnight Madness include a pumpkin drop and the Midnight Madness Classic Chiller.

The Classic Chiller, which organizers said they hope to make an annual event, will feature the free showing of a classic horror movie on the third floor of the Old Bag of Nails, 24 N. State St. This year's show will be Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho."

During the showing, raffle tickets will be for sale for $1. Winners can watch the show with a guest seated on two upholstered recliners from Amish Originals.

Read the article online at ThisWeek, click here.

Blog Editor's Note: While we strongly recommend a stop at the Uptown DQ an the community pumpkin display is in Rotary Park at N. State and E. Home. And, our face painter had to cancel and our second string face painter couldn't make it, so no face painting feature this year.