Annual Maxwell Street Days around the corner
By Ryan Spoehr
Staff Writer
The annual event along Main Street in Whitewater bringing sales out to the streets for all passers by to see will continue shortly after the calendar flips to August.
The annual Maxwell Street Days, which is now fused with elements of a fair, will be Saturday, Aug. 5. Vendors and activities for the entire family will be throughout the streets of both uptown and downtown Whitewater to showcase special deals and to provide a little fun along the way too.
“It’s really important, especially for retail. It lets the community know what shops there are, and it gives the community a time for people to get together socially,” said Marie Koch, the executive director of Discover Whitewater.
There will be a special “Kiddy Corner” with activities for the kids, a live band, chances to receive flyers from local organizations and of course, vendors up and down the street with sales.
“It has done a good job of bringing attractions to bring it back to what it was,” said Bob Herold, owner of Dale’s Bootery, which has been a regular vendor in the history of Whitewater’s Maxwell Street Days. “Big-box stores have come in and it has been harder, but Whitewater has done a good job at recreating the event.”
“As far as local business, it’s not what it used to be, but it’s still a big part of our business,” Herold added. “It’s a social event and it’s a lot of fun. There’s a lot of good deals with the vendors. It’s a busy day, a fun day and a day to see local people.”
The Chamber of Commerce will host a brat sale from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. With each purchase of a brat or hot dog at the sale, customers will get a Chamber Buck to use at any of the participating stores in the sidewalk sales.
“You can eat and have fun at the same time,” Koch said.
Also, the Whitewater Parks and Recreation’s youth summer dance program will have a dance recital at 1 p.m.
“It’s always cute to see all these kids in their costumes dancing in the street,” Koch said.
Other activities include a meet-and-greet with local mascots from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., giant inflatable bowling, a dinosaur bouncy house, and more. There will also be a temporary tattoo station. The live band, Sweetland, will perform from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Along with Dales’s Bootery, other businesses such as Bergey Jewelry, Quiet Hut Sports, Woodland Quilts, Leon Furniture, Winchester True Value and more will be vendors throughout the day.
“It’s a great chance for people to start their back-to-school shopping. Stores will have their sidewalk sales and school is right around the corner,” Koch said.
The sales will start at 9 a.m. and run until 4 p.m.
