Courtesy Photo Two contestants who participated in the costume contest during Downtown Alpena’s Day of the Dead celebration last year are seen here. This year's event is slated for Nov. 1.

ALPENA — For years, foot traffic and events slowed to a near halt in downtown Alpena after Labor Day, but that isn’t the case anymore.

Now, autumn and the holiday season feature some of the busiest times downtown and a handful of popular events draw people into local small businesses, which helps them during the lean months after Jan. 1.

The Alpena Downtown Development Authority, local business owners, and city officials have added several marquee events that fill the calendar from mid-October until the welcoming of the new year.

The events and fun that they offer will commence soon.

WITCHES NIGHT OUT

This pre-Halloween event has grown significantly over the last several years and more people are dressing up as witches and taking part in the fun downtown. Anne Gentry, DDA executive director, said this year’s event is on Friday, Oct. 17 and it could be bigger than last year’s. She added there will be more for people to do, including live entertainment in the alleyway between 2ndand 3rd Avenues.

“The shops are open late and there will be a bigger scavenger hunt than what we had last year,” Gentry said. “There will be a band in the alleyway from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. and then a DJ until 11 p.m. It has really grown and last year, there were hundreds of people that attended in witch costumes, so it has been really fun to see people get into it.”

TRUNK OR TREAT/DOWNTOWN TRICK OR TREATING

The annual Halloween Trunk or Treat and Downtown Trick or Treating is scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 24. Trunk or Treat is being held in the parking lot behind city hall and dozens of local businesses, organizations, and local police and fire personnel hand out candy. At the same time, downtown businesses will be open and handing out treats to the children, with many of the business owners or their staff also dressed up in costumes.

DAY OF THE DEAD

The Day of the Dead, known in Spanish as Día de los Muertos, is a holiday that celebrates life and honors the dead through traditions, food, decorations, and activities intended to sustain the connections between the living and the dead.

The second annual Day of the Dead celebration will be from 4 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1 in downtown Alpena. The event will feature a Catrina costume contest, specials in downtown businesses, and many decorations for people to take selfies with.

“We were blown away at how many people entered the costume contest in the first year,” Gentry said. “We thought maybe there would be a few, but there were about 40 entries and they were really amazing.”

Gentry said there will be live music after the celebration and many food and drink specials at local restaurants and taverns.

HOLIDAY SNEEK PEEK

The Holiday Sneek Peek is a reimagined version of the former Holiday Open House. Gentry said the event is on Saturday, Nov. 8 and local shops will have their Christmas merchandise out for early holiday shopping and other downtown promotions. The DDA will offer a special Downtown Dollar deal during the event where people can purchase a certain amount of the downtown currency and get that amount free. Gentry said more information on the event is coming soon.

BOLENZ JEWELRY HOLIDAY PARADE AND DOWNTOWN TREE LIGHTING

The annual Bolenz Jewelry Holiday parade is slated for 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 28. The parade is one of the highlights of the year, as most of the floats are covered in holiday lights and decorations. After the conclusion of the parade, people quickly walk to Culligan Plaza to celebrate the lighting of the city’s Christmas tree.

The construction of the new plaza is expected to be completed before the event, so attendees will also be able to check out the new amenities and features of the new plaza.

SUNRISE SIDE NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION

The first New Year’s Eve party in downtown Alpena last year was a huge success, as people flocked to the downtown to enjoy a bite to eat and a few drinks. Instead of having the typical ball that drops during the countdown to midnight, Alpena had a large sun that ascended into the nighttime sky and reached its peak as midnight arrived.

Gentry said she is hopeful more businesses will stay open until midnight or later because the ones that did last year were very busy, with long lines outside the establishments. She said this year’s celebration will also include a five-minute fireworks display at midnight.

Besides these events, Small Business Saturday is on Nov. 29. Santa will be at his shop at Culligan Plaza every Friday and Saturday during December. The tiny shops at the Water Street Commons will also be open this fall and into the holiday season.

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 or sschulwitz@TheAlpenaNews.com. Follow him on X @ss_alpenanews.com.