September First Friday celebrates back to school

MOUNT VERNON – The First Friday season comes to a close this week at the Sept. 2 First Friday. Experience Mount Vernon invites community members and visitors alike to the Central Business District of Mount Vernon for the Back-to-School Celebration to kick off the school year.

Food, live music and fun for all during the 2022 First Friday season are promised. From 6-9 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 2, Central Ohio Technical College, Kenyon College, Knox County Career Center, Knox Technical Center and Mount Vernon Nazarene University join Experience Mount Vernon to present the final First Friday of 2022.

Experience Mount Vernon will partner with the Mount Vernon Arts Consortium (MVAC) to present the First Friday Concert Series. The series will be featured on the Main Stage between Park National Bank and PNC Bank facing Public Square.

Brought by Knox Community Hospital and Central Ohio Technical College, the Concert Series will feature Jersey, a Bruce Springsteen tribute band, at the September event. This seven-piece lineup will play the music of Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band.

A+ Autobrokers returns as the sponsor of the First Friday Cruise-Ins to keep the events free. Experience Mount Vernon has worked closely with several members of the local car enthusiast community to formulate a plan for this year. Cars should arrive no earlier than 4:30 p.m., when streets will begin shutting down, and no later than 6 p.m., when the streets will be fully closed to traffic. Check experiencemv.org for more details on the cruise-in.

The first ever Cindy’s Pierogis Jumbo Cream Puff Challenge is set to take place at 7 p.m. at 1 West High St. With an adult and child division, up to 20 participants will attempt to be crowned the challenge champion of 2022. Registration is now open on the Experience Mount Vernon Facebook page. The challenge is open to the first 10 participants in each division.

The Activity Zone presented by the YMCA of Mount Vernon, New Directions, MVNU Athletics and PAKUnited has moved to South Main Street between Gambier and Ohio. Working with partners to create activities, games and fun for all ages, September will feature several new activities never before seen at First Friday. Also featured in the Zone is the Edward Jones of Mount Vernon Touch-A-Truck. Swing by the South Main and Ohio Avenue intersection for a picture with local law enforcement representatives.

New to First Fridays for the 2022 season is the Community Corner presented by PNC Bank, Flapper Bar & Grille, New Directions and The Woodward Opera House. On West Gambier Street at the South Main Plaza, the Community Corner will feature local organizations promoting their events and previewing what is coming to Downtown Mount Vernon. The four sponsoring educational institutions will host a Department Fair on West Gambier, promoting the exciting programs and initiatives available at each school. From educational activities to games and more, don’t miss out on the Community Corner in September. Across South Main on East Vine Street, MTVarts will be promoting its upcoming musical, Shrek, from 6-8 p.m. Live performances, a couple of opportunities to participate in a flash mob, and Arts IQ challenges you to “Eat Like Shrek.”

KnoxPages.com is back for the 2022 season as the Knox Foodies First Friday Food Trail sponsor. Stop by the info table at the intersection of Vine and South Main to pick up a First Friday Food Trail Card, collect the required stamps by purchasing each zone, and return the completed card to the info table to be entered into a drawing for a gift. Didn’t finish your card in June, July or August? Bring the card back and continue the trail at the September event.

Participate in the Apple Harvest Competition with participating merchants. Collect 12 apple cards hidden in retail shops throughout Downtown (one apple card per participant per store), have the back signed and bring all twelve back to the information booth at the corner of Main and Vine streets to be entered into the drawing for a gift card to a downtown merchant.

Traffic will be closed one block north of Public Square, around the Square and on South Main Street down to Ohio Avenue starting at 4 p.m. If you have questions, contact Downtown Manager Anthony McNeal at 740-393-1481. Parking can be found at public lots around the exterior of First Fridays. Lots on South Gay and Mulberry Streets as well as off of East High Street are open to public parking during the event. Experience Mount Vernon has partnered with Knox Public Health to host a Bike Valet station in the Public Parking Lot at 20 East Ohio Ave. As part of the Active Transportation Plan, both Experience and Knox Public Health encourage those who can bike to take advantage of this free service.

Media sponsors include Town Money Saver, the Mount Vernon News, 90.9 WNZR, 13WMVO, Super Q 93.7 and KnoxPages.com.

To learn more about First Fridays, or to join the #experience, head to ExperienceMV.org.