The annual Downtown Party, hosted by Crawfordsville Main Street, kicks off tonight, inviting the community to celebrate the holiday season while supporting local businesses.
This year’s event includes a Passport to the Holidays program that started a couple weeks ago at the annual Downtown Crawfordsville Holiday Open House.
There were 16 small businesses downtown that signed up to be a part of the passports. To take part in Passport to the Holidays, residents could pick up a passport from Visit Montgomery at Fusion54. Participants were encouraged to visit each of the participating stores to have their passports stamped. While purchases weren’t required, businesses encouraged passport holders to take part in lighthearted challenges such as finding an Elf on the Shelf or searching for specific items like jewelry.
Today was the last day for participants to get their passports filled.
Completed passports must be turned in to Visit Montgomery at Fusion54 by 3 p.m. today to be entered into the contest.
The winner, who will be announced during the evening’s tree lighting ceremony, will receive a $250 gift card that can be redeemed at businesses that participated in Passport to the Holidays.
Sue Lucas, director of Crawfordsville Main Street, said the passports have introduced local shops to a lot of new customers, giving residents a chance to explore stores they might not have visited before.
This year, the honor of lighting the tree falls to Paul Barajas, owner of the local restaurant China Inn.
There will be several different activities at the party tonight. At Pike Place, visitors can enjoy wagon rides provided by Oak Hill Farms. Fusion54’s second floor will have a Hoosier Author Fair hosted by the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum. Fusion54 will also have games, crafts, and activities to entertain kids throughout the evening.
The Downtown Party continues to be a Crawfordsville tradition, bringing neighbors together to celebrate the season while bolstering the local economy. The party will begin at 6 p.m. tonight.
