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| Midwegian Bob Rouse will sign his hardbound collection of 10 Midway stories at the Historic Midway Museum Store from 1 to 3 Saturday. |
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media
Christmas is coming earlier in Midway this year.
Following the lead of some nearby towns, Midway merchants
are starting holiday festivities this weekend, rather than waiting for the
traditional post-Thanksgiving kickoff.
The Midway Business Association is starting the season Saturday, Nov. 4 with a chili cook-off, a mini-train ride, and multiple
arts and crafts vendors.
“They’ll be on the sidewalks," Steve Morgan,
co-chairman of the Christmas Events Committee, said at a business association
meeting Wednesday morning. “There’s a good variety of things that they have
that are all hand-crafted, holiday-merchandise types of things.”
Morgan said local vendors Two Ladies and a Kettle and a
booth run by the owner of Damselfly Gallery and the owner of the new Wine and Wood shop will
also be on the sidewalks.
Vendors will arrive as early as 8 a.m. and have to be set up
by 10 a.m., when the kick-off begins.
Free mini-train rides will begin at noon on Saturday and
will go around United Bank, Morgan said: “We got permission from the city, we
can go down Gratz Street and maybe Dudley, or maybe turn around on Gratz; it’s
going to depend on the train guy.”
The chili cook-off will be held on the sidewalks from 3 p.m.
to 5 p.m. Shoppers can buy a cup and spoon for $5 in front of City Hall to
sample the chilis and cast their votes.
Part of the proceeds from the chili cook-off and booth fees
with be donated to Toys for Tots, a charity that gives toys to children whose
parents cannot afford to buy Christmas gifts, Morgan said, and there will
collection boxes for those wanting to donate.
“We’ll have a few of the collection boxes around on
Saturday, if any business wants to keep one of those around, they’re welcome to
do so,” he said.
City Hall will be open for public restrooms and for visitors
looking to see Midway history, according to Mayor Grayson Vandegrift.
“I've told
the merchants association previously that whatever they think they need to
succeed, we as a city will do our best to provide a helpful environment, and
we've certainly done that here,” Vandegrift said in an email Thursday morning.
While festivities are starting earlier,
holiday decorations will not be added until after Thanksgiving, Vandegrift said: “Consistent
with the last few years we won't have downtown fully decorated until the day
after Thanksgiving, mostly due to our employees having the necessary time and
materials, such as live greenery and a live tree being ready and available.”
As usual, on Saturday, Nov. 25 at 11 a.m., Santa Claus will
arrive in Midway.
“Santa’ll come to town, he’ll get off the train first, he’s gonna
get onto a carriage over here on this side,” Morgan said. “I think they’re
gonna make one whole round around Railroad Street to show him off to everybody
that’s around and he’s gonna end up going up to Eat, Drink and Breathe, where
he’ll sit down.”
The holiday kick-off is one of several events the merchants have planned throughout November and into December.
“We hope it can be an annual thing for us so we’re real excited to see the turnout and to see what’s gonna happen with all of this,” said Peggy Angel, president of the Midway Business Association. “Special things will be going on every Saturday during the month of November and December.”
She said the events will include a book signing featuring local authors and a pet parade.
“We’re going to launch that in the vacant lot between Damselfly and Leslie’s shop [the Historic Midway Museum Store] and then we’ll just walk the sidewalk; we won’t close the streets or anything,” Angel said. “They can dress their pets up, it’s gonna be a fun thing, kids can bring their animals and adults can bring their animals.”
The pet parade will be on Dec. 2.
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