Fire Up DWNTWN Will Feature Art, Food, Music and Much More
Writer / Aimee MacArthur
Photography Provided
Are you in need of a must-attend event to check off your summer bucket list? What about an event with art, food, music and entertainment, as well as dazzling hot air balloons, character balloons and a glow show? Look no further and add the summer’s hottest event to your calendar.
Thanks to an overwhelming response to last year’s fest, downtown Muncie will hold its second annual Fire Up DWNTWN – A Sizzling Streetfest, sponsored by Ivy Tech Muncie. The family-friendly event takes place on the streets of downtown Muncie on Saturday, August 5 from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Vicki Veach, ex officio executive director with Muncie Downtown Development Partnership (MDDP), and Cheryl Crowder, MDDP events director, began planning this year’s festival almost a year ago. “It’s a big event to plan but it is a blast,” Crowder says. According to Veach, more than 10,000 people attended last year’s fest, which included out-of-town visitors traveling from surrounding states and as far as New York.
If you attend, expect a magical day with nonstop fun for all ages. Well-planned and organized festivals like Fire Up DWNTWN are the perfect opportunity to bring together neighbors and visitors, promote diversity and community, all while enjoying a feast for the eyes, ears and tastebuds. It’s not a festival without delicious food, right? Festival-goers can expect food vendors serving tasty delights like mouth-watering ribs, ice cream, lemon shake-ups and, according to Crowder, all the feel-good summer food. Veach adds that downtown businesses including restaurants will participate in Fire Up DWNTWN and showcase their own creative twists on menus. “They offer spicy drinks or different kinds of food that fit the event theme,” Veach says. For those who love watching competitive eating contests, you don’t want to miss the rib and hot-pepper eating contests. Look for Muncie firefighters and police participating in the contests.
As you walk around the fest, expect to see talented artists selling their wares, including fire-focused artisans – those who use a blowtorch to create their works of art.
Fans of entertainment will appreciate listening to a variety of live music and participating in fun and unique activities. Don’t miss the opportunity to try out a NASCAR simulator or a virtual-reality simulator, where attendees can experience the feeling of being on a water slide or parachuting. There is also a Euro Bungee, for those adrenaline fans who want to experience safely jumping and flying through the air. Admission to Fire Up DWNTWN, which is sponsored by Ivy Tech Muncie, is free, although some entertainment and activities have a fee.
Veach and Crowder are proud to have the support and participation of Muncie firefighters and police who will be part of pulling a MRAP, which is an armored military vehicle weighing around 14 tons. Firefighters will participate in a water ball activity, a thrilling sight to see, where water hoses move a ball back and forth in the air.
The real star of the show is the balloon activity, which starts around 5 p.m. and ends at 10 p.m. There will be special shaped balloons, such as a football, rocket and other character balloons, as part of a glow show. There will be tethered hot air balloons offering rides for a fee, and hot air balloons will fly over downtown. The festival concludes the way all great festivals do, with a fireworks display.
“It is one of the premier Muncie events,” Crowder says. “It is such a good way to feel good about the place you live, and a great way to show off the variety of things that downtown has to offer. There’s literally something for everyone.”
There is a lot of sweat and hard work put into planning a successful event of this size, and Veach and Crowder are grateful for the tremendous support and help they receive.
“I want to thank the sponsors and the foundations for their grants and the city for their support, because it takes a lot of people to put something on like this, and especially the volunteers,” Veach says. “This event requires around 150 volunteers. We’re just very grateful that we have a community that is so giving and supportive, so that we can offer this to the residents and the people from out of town.”
For more information, visit downtownmuncie.org/fireup. For information about being a volunteer at this fantastic event, contact Veach at vicki@downtownmuncie.org, or complete the form at bit.ly/2023fireup.
