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Something for EVERYONE

Middletown stays busy with a variety of events all yearlong

BY DEBORAH RUTLEDGE

Designed to draw out the locals and attract out-of-towners, Middletown’s slate of events offers something for everyone, from kids and dogs to car enthusiasts.

“We strive to get people excited about the unique character of our downtown,” says Jeff Payne, executive director of Downtown Middletown Inc. “Our real effort is to get people consistently downtown.”

To that end, there are First Fridays, which are themed events often linked to the season, and scheduled for the first Fridays of the month. Downtown Middletown partners with businesses or institutions that take the lead on the month’s entertaining event. They feature a variety of activities, with events occurring indoors or outdoors depending on the season.

On the third Saturdays from May through September, Downtown Middletown Inc. partners with the People’s Initiative Network to present Jazz on the Square at Governor’s Square. The event includes live entertainment featuring performers with regional popularity.

Middletown also will host marquee events in July at Smith Park, “the heart of community gatherings in Middletown,” says Mary Huttlinger, executive director of the Middletown Visitors Bureau.

Those include fireworks commemorating Independence Day and the annual Ohio Challenge Balloon Festival, featuring tethered hot air balloon rides and a spectacular balloon glow at sunset. About 20 to 35 hot air balloons are included in the display, which is set off by the view of the Great Miami Riverway, Huttlinger says.

These events not only serve as a community connector for residents, but also showcase the beauty and history “unique to Middletown and the Midwestern region,” Huttlinger adds.

Middletown events will hum through the summer, beginning with a parade and African American Cultural celebration commemorating Juneteenth this June. Downtown Middletown Inc. will again partner with the People’s Initiative Network for this event.

The popular Thunderfest Cruise-In will roar back to town in July. The event features classic cars, hot rods, street rods, rat rods, pulling tractors, motorcycles and more. Unique prize categories and trophies will be awarded, and an hourly cackle fest gets every engine revving.

The quieter Port Middletown Arts Festival and Dog Day Downtown Friday are also slated to return in September. Kids and families are catered to during Middletown’s signature family event, Hocus Pocus, a Halloweentime festivity inspired by and based on the Disney movie of the same name.

For Small Business Saturday, which follows Thanksgiving, Downtown Middletown Inc.

The Thunderfest Cruise-In roars into town in July. plans to partner with the Holiday Hoopla committee, which last year illuminated the town for a festive view with more than 300,000 new holiday lights, Payne says. As a nonprofit, Downtown Middletown Inc. offers sponsorship package opportunities, and hosts a few of its own popular events to help support it and the work it does in Middletown, Payne says. Those events include the Annual Women’s Wine & Chocolate Walk in historic downtown Middletown. The wine and chocolate tasting event has a long reach, with up to 70% of its ticket purchasers coming from outside Butler and Warren county zip codes, Payne says. The event takes place in May. Hops in the Hangar is another event hosted by Downtown Middletown Inc. Scheduled for August at the Middletown airport, the day will feature live entertainment, an air show and sky diver event, plus beer tastings from more than 30 breweries. n

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