“We sold 600 tickets in about two days. Last year, we sold 400 tickets in about three days,” said Executive Director Mallory Greenham of Downtown Middletown Inc.
Hosted in historic downtown Middletown, registration and check-in for the Women’s Wine & Chocolate Walk will begin at noon at The Sorg Opera House located at 56 South Main Street. As the first stop on the walk, participants will exchange their ticket for a wine-tasting glass, a goodie bag and a tasting map. Throughout the afternoon, from noon to 6 p.m., guests will enjoy wine and chocolate tastings at various businesses and restaurants around downtown. (No tickets will be sold at the door.) There are about 20 stops on the walk with half focusing on wine, and the other half devoted to chocolate. Additional entertainment and activies will be added to celebrate the five-year anniversary, such as karaoke, a photo booth, quick massages.
“I think the unique thing about this event is it showcases all of downtown, instead of just being at one event location. It’s not a festival that’s in one event center, or a green grassy area. We’ve placed the wine and chocolate at stops throughout downtown, so you can explore our city,” Greenham said.
Proceeds from the women-only, fundraising event will benefit the ongoing revitalization and historic preservation efforts in downtown Middletown. The event also brings awareness to downtown Middletown, and its growing business district. Guests come from Middletown, Liberty Twp., Mason, Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati, and beyond.
Betsy Hanavan, a downtown Middletown resident and a member of the planning committee for the event has been attending The Women’s Wine & Chocolate Walk every year since the event began.
“The Annual Women’s Wine & Chocolate Walk has quickly become the most anticipated day of the year for myself and many others. The group I personally attend with has grown to about 20 ladies. Since I live close to downtown, we all meet at my house prior to the event and have an annual celebratory ‘kickoff.’ It’s a great opportunity for us all to get together, let our hair down and have fun,” Hanavan said.
Promoting a mix of wine, chocolate and shopping, the Women’s Wine & Chocolate Walk was founded in 2013. With good attendance the first few years, the non-profit focused on growing the event, and getting the word out. In 2015, the event sold out with 200 tickets available. Last year, the amount of tickets was doubled to 400 tickets available, and it sold out in a matter of days. The event has grown primarily by word of mouth. Ticket sales were doubled again this year to 600. The walk began with around 7 stops, and expanded to 16 stops in 2015.
Upcoming events will be posted on the Downtown Middletown, Inc. website at www.downtownmiddletown.org and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/downtownmiddletown. Residents can follow all future events on Facebook and sign up for the Downtown Middletown, Inc. email blast on the website.
Modeled after the Women’s Wine and Chocolate Walk, this year’s Craft Beer Walk is set for Aug. 5 from noon to 6 p.m. Tickets will be $40, and include 20 beer and bite stops. Tickets for the co-ed event are not on sale, but will go on sale about a month prior to the event. Ticket sales will be facilitated through Eventbrite. The ticket sale launch will be announced the official Facebook event page first, so make sure you are marked “interested” or “going” to receive updates.
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