Downtown Halloween event puts spotlight on small businesses
By Ben Cox
Photos by Ben Cox, Marcy Patterson and submitted
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder’s fork and blind-worm’s sting,
Lizard’s leg and howlet’s wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble
~ William Shakespeare, The Scottish Play
The ominous brew and the howling cackle of witches went click-clack on the concrete on Friday, Oct. 17 for the first ever Pretty City Jacksonville Witches Walk.
Seventeen downtown Jacksonville businesses opened their doors from 5-8 that evening for a Halloween-styled ladies night out of sipping potions and shopping for various charms. The walk supplied a bingo-style card that shoppers could fill up with stickers after participating in various activities at the participating locations.
The Peachy Nest featured tarot readings by Regina DuRocher Keefe for those who dared to look into their future. If they were more into spells, they could create their own potion inside or receive some healing arts from Fawn Berry Apothecary that was visiting from Quincy.
Kindred Market featured a visit from Medusa and Maleficent who helped at a hot tea bar or gave you a turn at the Wheel of Misfortune. Who knew witches liked hot tea in the evening?
Our Town Books was graced with the ethereal presence of several witches howling from their spellbooks, enticing people to make their own special bookmark or take a turn with a local crochet vendor for all of your garment needs.
Boujee Barn Boutique had a long line as people sought a look into their past and future with either a reading from a medium or a look at the tarot cards. If that prospect was a little too scary, you could get some expert face painting to complement all of your spooky shopping.
Green Haven’s earthy witches allowed you a do-it-yourself botanical broom to hang on your door. You also could grab some healing from Mistress Ono’s apothecary.
To keep your memories of the event, Eunoia Mama Co., located inside The Plaza, had a special photo booth so all the ghouls and goblins could capture the evening’s magic touch.
Witches do get hungry, so a pair of food trucks were available on the northeast side of the square.
This was just a sampling of the evening’s affair. If you missed out on the event, you should feel despair. The weather was perfect. The night was still. The witches behaved and the square was filled. Merchants smiled. The witches cackled. Halloween is near and filled with goody bags.
