MOUNT VERNON – The Heritage Centre Association’s (HCA) August First Friday will be held Friday, Aug. 1, from 6-9 p.m., in downtown Mount Vernon. Sponsored by The Alcove Restaurant, the event will feature the OSU Alumni Band on the Square from 7-8:30 p.m.
There will also be a number of family friendly activities, including Sophia’s Petting Zoo sponsored by Griffin Insurance; balloon sculptor Rex Naylor sponsored by Creative Foundations, Paragraphs Bookstore, and SPI Spot; cornhole sponsored by Flapper’s Bar & Grille, Herald’s Appliances, Coffee Island Express and Madison Collins Stephens Insurance.
Donley Ford-Lincoln of Mount Vernon is the Cruise In sponsor. Goody bags will be given to the first 25 registrants. There is no fee to participate; door prizes will be awarded. The registration table will be on the Square.
Food will be provided on the Square by Cowgirls Concessions, 8 Sisters Bakery and Tim Horton’s/Cold Stone Creamery. Whit’s Frozen Custard will be located on South Main Street. Downtown merchants will be open late for shopping and dining. Some of the activities found at downtown merchants include:
- CA&C Depot – Join the Depot for “Movie Night at the Depot” featuring “The Train.” Movies start at dusk; popcorn is provided. Bring lawn chairs or blankets. The model railroad display will also be open.
- Alicie’s Action Figure Frenzy – Purchase a raffle ticket for a WWE Hall of Fame prize pack (see details on Alicie’s Facebook page). Tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5. Mr. USA Tony Atlas will draw the winner at 8 p.m. and will also be available for autograph signing throughout the evening. All proceeds will be donated to local resident Michael Looney who was diagnosed with stage three B-Cell Lymphoma Non-Hodgkin’s and Hodgkin’s and is fighting the disease with no health insurance.
- SPI Spot (Science Playspace Initiative) – Free open house, Imagination Playground, and water tables.
- MVNU Schnormeier Gallery – Browse a community photography art exhibit.
· WNZR’s Big Blue – WNZR will give away a tote bag stuffed full of goodies including WNZR T-Shirts, Frisbees, cups, chip clips, backscratchers and special WNZR LED glow bracelets. The prize is valued at $65.
· Harvest @ The Woodward – Enjoy a local foods market and samples from vendors.
The Place @ The Woodward – Knox Idol auditions will be held starting at 6 p.m. Find more information at www.danemmettfestival.org or pick up an application at the Convention and Visitors Bureau (105 South Main Street).
Shops in the 200 block of South Main – Bring the kids down for sidewalk chalk art activities.
- Flappers Bar & Grille – Enjoy live music from Leis Wiggand (of Rare Bird) starting at 9 p.m.
Barry Chern will perform at MVNU’s Buchwald Plaza gazebo, sponsored by Rolls Royce. The Woodward Opera House will be open for tours from 6-8 p.m.
First Fridays’ media sponsors are KnoxPages.com, WQIO/WMVO, and WNZR. The stations will broadcast live from downtown during the event.
Traffic will be closed one block north of the Square, around the Square and on south Main Street to Ohio Avenue (Gambier Street will remain open) starting at 4:30 p.m. Rain location for the band is YMC Sports Center on East Chestnut Street. If you have questions, please contact Carrie Haver, HCA’s downtown manager, at (740) 393-1481.
Details for the First Friday season are listed at www.VisitDowntownMountVernon.com. The mission of the Heritage Centre Association is to create and enhance the economic, historic and social development of the central business district and downtown Mount Vernon.
