The Flame and Flair Festival, organized by the Michigan City Mainstreet Association and other local businesses, brought food, fire, and fun to the community for a unique evening.
Kids and adults alike strolled up and down Franklin Street on Saturday evening dressed in their Halloween costumes. The event, which started at 5 p.m., included trick-or-treating, fire dancing, costume contests, and much more.
Downtown businesses set up booths for kids to trick-or-treat at. Participating businesses included: Ryan’s Irish Pub, Darling, General Insurance, Edward Jones, Joy of Flowers, Beach Bum Jewels, Urban Soles, Salon Cilla, dh2w, Paris House of Bridal, St. Paul Lutheran Church & School, First United Methodist Church, Craighead, Lange & Hough, Threadbenders Quilt Shop & The Closet by Franklin Vintage.
“A lot of our businesses really contribute to the evening. They will decorate their store front and help to create the Halloween atmosphere for the event,” said Tiffany Bley, executive director of the Michigan City Mainstreet Association.
After the trick or treating, there were “Bed Races,” where competitors not only set a bedframe on wheels but decorated it. Teams raced each other on their homemade “bed” cars down Main Street.
“The event tonight gives parents and kids a chance to work together on projects such as the Bed Races, and it is something I believe the community looks forward to every year around Halloween,” said Johnny Stimley, owner of Ryan’s Irish Pub.
After the Bed Races, there was a fire dancing performance by The Gypsy Tribe & Crimson Pulse that had the crowd gathered on the sidewalks in awe.
“The event is a way to incorporate an art form with a fun family event. In one way, we are showcasing the art form of fire dancing but combining it with trick-or-treating,” said Bley.