Metro Toyota SkeleTour Downtown Kalamazoo returns in October
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Contact: Meghan Behymer | Communications + Marketing Manager
mbehymer@downtownkalamazoo.org | 269-344-0795
Downtown Kalamazoo is going to be getting a little spooky. This October, the Kalamazoo Downtown Partnership is thrilled to announce Downtown Kalamazoo’s second annual SkeleTour, welcoming our new presenting sponsor, Metro Toyota. Building on the success of the inaugural SkeleTour in 2019, this year’s autumn spectacular will feature 52 one-of-a-kind, life-size skeletons that reflect local businesses and organizations unique to Kalamazoo.
Spanning along Michigan Avenue, the Kalamazoo Mall, Rose Street and Portage Street, skeletons will be displayed ready for people to snap their “skelfie” with, and a special display on the N. Kalamazoo Mall near the Radisson Plaza Hotel and cornstalks on light poles will truly transform downtown. The installation will be complemented by a series of socially distant events and activities for a range of different audiences—families, food-lovers, music fans, movie-goers, beer and wine enthusiasts—outlined below.
“This year, SkeleTour is an at-your-own-pace, month-long, downtown experience for all ages,” Kalamazoo Downtown Partnership Events Director Sue Huggett said. “This year will feature lots of activities that allow the community to enjoy the festive fall season downtown while being safe.”
SkeleTour Activities
Walk Among the Dead
Looking for safe and fun activities to do outdoors? Ways to get moving? Downtown Kalamazoo has got you covered.
- A walk among the dead is not always a good thing, but in downtown Kalamazoo it is the only way to spend October. Check out each uniquely-themed skeleton in downtown Kalamazoo – visit our SkeleTour Map to see exactly where all 52 skeletons are located and which business they represent.
- Get your #Skelfie on with the Skelfie Scavenger Hunt and be entered to win $50 in Downtown Dollars weekly. Download our Skelfie Scavenger Hunt checklist sponsored by Clock N Lock Escape Rooms, and use #skelfiekzoo and tag @downtownkalamazoo on Instagram or Facebook for a chance to win. The more selfies you submit, the more chances to win.
- New this year, Clock N Lock Escape Rooms presents the SkeleTour Puzzle Trip, a family-friendly, at-your-own-pace downtown puzzle extravaganza. This is a great way to get the entire family downtown exercising both the mind and body as you work to figure out 31 different puzzles and the MEGA puzzle grid. Stay tuned to Downtown Kalamazoo social media for daily hints on where to find mega puzzle grid clues.
(A)Live Entertainment
Throughout the month, we are thrilled to bring several live music performances and entertainment opportunities for all ages to enjoy. All activities are being offered outdoors with plenty of space to fully enjoy the experience.
- On Friday, October 2, celebrate the arrival of skeletons in downtown with a performance by The Skeletones on the Kalamazoo Mall from 5-8 p.m. Enjoy dinner and drinks Grab some dinner and drinks while you check out all the skeletons.
- Enjoy live performances on Bates Alley on Wednesday, October 7 featuring WMU student jazz band, Grayson Nye Quartet, and Wednesday, October 14 featuring local high schoolers performing tangos, movie music and Celtic tunes.
- In lieu of the Trolley of Terror, which will not be running this year due to COVID-19 concerns, the City of Kalamazoo Parks and Recreation Department is presenting a socially distant Family Movie night at 3 p.m. October 17 at the Arcadia Creek Festival Place. Enjoy the Halloween favorite, Hotel Transylvania, outdoors at the Arcadia Creek Festival Place. Bring your own chairs, blankets, and snacks. Register here.
- The fun doesn’t end when the movie is over. After the credits roll, head down to the Kalamazoo Mall for some food, drinks and shopping, while enjoying a Pumpkin Carving Demonstration from 2-5 p.m. Watch how John Angevine transforms a simple pumpkin into an artistic masterpiece.
- And don’t forget about the popular returning activity: Scary Hair appointments with the Radisson’s Blush Salon + Spa. By appointment only, a limited number of kids can get the scariest, silliest hairstyles imaginable. These Scary Hair appointments will be free of charge on Tuesday, October 6, 5 – 8pm. By appointment only, register here.
Alive & Well Drinks
To the food lovers, the beer, wine and cocktail enthusiasts, there are lots of ways to get a taste of what Downtown Kalamazoo has to offer.
- This year, sign up for the SkeleTour Bar Crawl Passport, sponsored by Discover Kalamazoo, and be entered to win Downtown Dollars! The new digital passport makes supporting local bars and restaurants easy, fun, and safe with skeleton-themed drink specials from 17 downtown restaurants and bars. With the Central Commons Refreshment Area launched, it’s the perfect time to grab a spooky cocktail and stroll through SkeleTour skeletons. The Bar Crawl Passport launches on October 19 and runs through the end of the month. Check out our SkeleTour map to view skeleton locations and participating bar crawl businesses.
- And what better way to enjoy SkeleTour than with a beer in hand? Join West Michigan Beer Tours for “A Walking Tour of Downtown Kalamazoo Breweries” every weekend in October with stops at three featured breweries.
- On Saturday, October 24, get in the Halloween mood with a spooky bus tour featuring a brewery with a haunt, one of Kalamazoo’s best haunted attractions and try some great fall season beers. Be prepared for a night of frights, flights and fun. Costumes are encouraged and prizes will be awarded to the favorites. Learn more here.
Thank you to all skeleton sponsors: Adrianne’s Boutique, Biggby Coffee, Bimbo’s Pizza, Bronson Athletic Club, Bronson Sports Medicine, Byce & Associates, Cherri’s Chocol’Art, Civil House Coffee, Clock N Lock, Consumers Credit Union, Discover! Kalamazoo, Down Dog Yoga Center, Earthly Delights at Amy Zane, El Concilio, Epic Center, Gazelle Sports, Greater Kalamazoo Area Realtors, Green Top Tavern, Honor Credit Union, Jaqua Realtors, Kalamazoo Candle Company Marketplace, Kalamazoo Public Library, Kalamazoo State Theatre, Lana’s Boutique, Louie’s Trophy House, Metro Toyota, Metro Transit, Old Burdick’s Bar & Grill, Olde Peninsula Brewpub & Restaurant, PlazaCorp, Rocket Fizz, Teel Jewelers, The Station: Dancewear and Studios, TowerPinkster, Treystar and V&A Bootery.
The SkeleTour Downtown Kalamazoo would not be possible without the creativity of Begonia Brothers Landscape.
For more information on Metro Toyota SkeleTour Downtown Kalamazoo, visit https://downtownkalamazoo.org/event/skeletour/
About Kalamazoo Downtown Partnership
Kalamazoo Downtown Partnership is a non-profit organization that works with both the public and private sectors in preserving and enhancing the economic health of Kalamazoo’s downtown area and, in turn, the Kalamazoo community. In conjunction with its affiliate organizations, it manages a full range of activities that include capital improvement projects, business development and recruitment programs, image marketing and event planning in order to establish Downtown Kalamazoo as an accessible, diverse, green, progressive and vibrant urban center. For more information, visit downtownkalamazoo.org, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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