GRINCH FEST

Eric Crosswhite talks with Barbara Bigelow about all the great events that are happening in downtown Columbus this time of year.

Welcome back.

We are, once again, talking with barbara bigelow about all the great events that are happening downtown columbus this time of year.

Christmas right around the corner and you have a new event, things are a little bit different this season but you've got a new event to try and balance that out.

Barbara bigelow: things are different.

We were trying very hard not to change or cancel any of our events but we have had to make a few changes.

One comes up friday, december the 4th, we normally would have wassail fest, couldn't see a way to do it safely this year for our public so we're having grinch fest.

Y'all know we have this theme in downtown, "don't let the grinch steal your christmas."

Eric crosswhite: i love that theme.

Barbara bigelow: we're living by that.

So, we have decided that we will have grinch fest downtown on december the 4th.

Everyone's familiar with the old fashion barn or the former fashion barn location at 5th and main, we're going to turn that into whoville.

We'll have the grinch, we'll have cindy lou who's, we'll have buddy the dog, all kinds of fun things going on in there.

So we invite everybody to come down to enjoy that.

Barbara bigelow: our downtown stores will be open from 5:00 to 8:00 pm.

Go to the stores, pick up a passport.

As you visit the different stores, get your passport stamped, turn it in at the end of the night for an opportunity to win hundreds of dollars worth of gift certificates to our downtown merchants.

Who doesn't like a gift certificate?

Well, this is going to be many gift certificates.

I think we have 16 merchants participating.

Eric crosswhite: holy cow.

Barbara bigelow: i know it, so that's pretty good.

So we're very, very excited about that.

We invite the public to dress up, whoville style, enter the costume contest.

There will be a photo booth inside the fashion bar.

Excuse me, inside whoville.

Eric crosswhite: whoville, yeah, you don't want to mix those up.

Barbara bigelow: that's right, that's right.

Barbara bigelow: well, you know, the fashion barn was here for so long, it's such a staple.

Barbara bigelow: anyway, we invite everybody to dress up, whoville style, get their picture taken, enter the contest for a prize.

Just going to be a lot of fun.

Eric crosswhite: yeah, it sounds like and a lot of work on your guys's part, turning it all into whoville and everything like that.

It sounds like this event is one of those where it's just as much fun for the parents as probably it is for the kids.

There's something for everybody.

Barbara bigelow: that's right.

That's right.

This will be a real family event this year, which we think is extremely important downtown.

And we just, we're trying to encourage people to get out safely with the family and come on downtown and enjoy it.

We'll, also right across the street from you, we're going to have a sunday local, we'll be having holiday singing for us.

And i should mention that at 8:00, i'm sorry, 8:15 or 8:30 that evening, they'll be showing the grinch movie inside the princess theater.

So that will be kind of fun after these festivities are over.

Eric crosswhite: yeah, perfect, they go hand in hand.

Everybody's staying on that theme.

I love it.

Barbara bigelow: that's right.

Eric crosswhite: and of course this is just to help encourage people to shop locally as we get to christmas.

Barbara bigelow: absolutely.

Shopping local is extremely important all year long, but especially these holidays and especially this year.

2020, you know, it's been a rough year and we all know that and we just have to admit it.

So please, please support your local businesses and keep that money local here.

Eric crosswhite: yeah, absolutely.

Those local businesses staying on strong.

They know it's been a tough year and they've been adapting, but we're all in it together and christmas, you know, we really got to come together for that.

Barbara bigelow: that's exactly right.

We don't want to let that grinch steal our christmas, you know.

Eric crosswhite: absolutely.

Barbara, thanks so much for talking with us.

Anything else you want to say about it?

Barbara bigelow: i think that's it, just come on down and enjoy the holidays, downtown columbus.

Eric crosswhite: remind us one