4th Friday season is right around the corner in Westerville, and 2018 will be the monthly warm-weather event’s most ambitious year yet.
The first Mount Carmel St. Ann’s 4th Friday event of the year is slated for April 27. And thanks to a collaboration between the Westerville Visitors and Convention Bureau and the city of Westerville, all six 4th Friday events this season will see State Street closed in Uptown Westerville to make a larger, more inviting venue.
In 2017, 4th Friday averaged 11,000 visitors per event. For organizers, it was a testament to the events’ immense popularity. But it also presented a problem. Conditions were getting cramped.
“As this thing grew, we realized we need more room and that we were landlocked,” says Jeff Hartnell, executive director of the bureau. “People were saying, ‘I don’t like coming down anymore, it’s so crowded.’”
Organizers tested out the street closure this past August for Dog Days of Westerville. The easier access to display booths and shops without the hassle of cars led to a 3,000-person increase in attendance, Hartnell says – clear evidence that the effort was worthwhile, as the city approved street closures for all six 2018 events.
“It allows us to add more entertainment and more activities geared to the attendees and families,” he says. “And (we’re) providing all of this in a safe environment.”
With the expansion, the latest layout now accommodates 160 vendors, including merchants, information booths and food options, including newcomers and old standbys such as Schmidt’s Restaurant und Sausage Haus.
"We’re discovering that we have so much talent in our community and we want to showcase it. Our sense of community is very strong … and we want people to realize the fun of living in Westerville." - Hartnell
A portable stage will bring a new light to performances. And to accommodate adolescents, there will be open mic singing, games and even small rides, such as a spinning contraption known as the Human Gyroscope and the bucking Shark Rider.
“We’re just trying to make sure (the events) cover every age and every stage,” says Hartnell. “It’s just plain old-fashioned going to be fun.”
Visitors can also expect more shuttles that go to and from nearby parking lots and the State Street Venue. Able to cycle to the affair? A new, free bike corral monitored by the Westerville Bike Club, which will offer safety inspections and refill tires, is another new addition.
Hartnell says the expansion also offers more people the opportunity to demonstrate their talent. That’s particularly true for April’s arts-themed event, Arts in the Street, previously known as Uptown Alive!. Guest can enjoy additional live music, dancing and shops with art exhibits.
“We’re discovering that we have so much talent in our community and we want to showcase it,” says Hartnell. “Our sense of community is very strong … and we want people to realize the fun of living in Westerville.”
The September event – previously known as School Daze, then Fall Fest, now Farm in the City – will also make a theme adjustment that focuses more on the fall season. Hartnell says the schools will now be recognized with a recurring section of the event each month.
The street closure is just the beginning of making the events more extensive and, organizers hope, more successful for the community. Hartnell has big dreams for Westerville, particularly Uptown.
“(4th Friday Events) helped the Uptown grow. That’s what they were supposed to do, to put the heartbeat back into the uptown area,” he says. “I’m pretty excited about the street closing and what we can do with that. … It would be a great feather in everyone’s cap if we could make this uptown the most successful in central Ohio, and I think we’re pretty darn close.”
Lydia Freudenberg is a contributing editor. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
Mount Carmel St. Ann’s 4th Fridays 2018
April 27: Arts in the Street
May 25: Back to Nature
June 22: Safety Fest
July 27: World Bazaar
Aug. 24: Dog Days of Westerville
Sept. 28: Farm in the City
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