September 26, 2025 • 17 mins
Historic Downtown Perry transforms into a vibrant hub of seasonal festivities throughout October with themed scarecrows, beer tastings, and family-friendly Halloween events!
We explore the exciting lineup of fall activities that bring the community together while showcasing the unique character and businesses of Perry.
• Scarecrow Festival runs all October featuring 37+ storybook-themed displays throughout downtown with public voting via QR codes
• Downtown Beer Tasting on October 17th offers 20 sampling stations, live music, and a commemorative cup for $50, benefiting the Main Street Advisory Board
• Ghouls Night Out extended shopping hours on October 30th (5-8pm) with special promotions and downtown businesses open late
• Sweets and Treats provides safe Halloween trick-or-treating downtown on October 31st from 4-6pm with 34+ candy stations
• Perry Farmers Market runs every Saturday year-round (9am-1pm), with special Second Saturday Artisan Showcases beginning in October
• Fall events are just the beginning, with the holiday season bringing even more activities to Historic Downtown Perry
Be sure to follow Historic Downtown Perry on Facebook and Instagram for event updates and details, or visit perry-ga.gov and click the downtown link at the top of the page.
If you like Inside Perry - subscribe and share the podcast with friends and family. The podcast is available on all major podcast platforms.
Visit us at perry-ga.gov.
We hope to see you around in our amazing community...Where Georgia Comes Together.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Welcome to the Inside Perry Podcast, where you
get an inside look at Perry,Georgia's local government.
We're glad you chose Perry,where people make the
difference.
Whether you stay a few hours ora lifetime, your time in Perry
will be rewarding andunforgettable.
I'm Tabitha Clark,Communications Director for the
City of Perry.
(00:23):
And welcome back to the InsidePerry, Georgia podcast.
Today we are talking about oneof my absolute favorite times of
year, which is the fall.
But a second reason for myfavorite time of year is because
historic downtown Perry, itliterally lights up and just
comes to life with some greatfall events that we have.
(00:43):
So today we're talking withdowntown manager Alicia Hartley.
Hey Tabitha, thanks for havingme.
Sure.
So let's get right into itbecause this is downtown's busy
season or the start ofdowntown's busy season.
SPEAKER_01 (00:54):
This kicks it off and we are nonstop till the end
of December.
That's right.
SPEAKER_00 (00:58):
It's just a little train track.
Keep going.
One of my favorites is theannual downtown Perry Scarecrow
Fest.
Yes.
It's hard to have one favoritewhen we're talking about October
in downtown.
It is, it is.
So let's, for those that have noidea what Scarecrow Fest is,
give us a little taste of what'sgoing on.
SPEAKER_01 (01:16):
Yeah.
So this is an opportunity.
It originally started with justour businesses located in
downtown, um, where they put upa scarecrow in front of their
shop or their business or theirrestaurant, just to help us
decorate and get in that fallfeel.
Um, but over the years, it hasgrown and expanded that we um
accept registrations forscarecrows from anyone that's
(01:38):
interested in doing it.
They don't have to have abusiness in downtown Perry or in
Perry alone.
Like it could be a business oran organization from the greater
Houston County area.
We've had um families and likeuh homeschool co-ops sign up to
do a creative scarecrow.
It really just gets yourcreative juices flowing, and
then the more scarecrowsdowntown, the better.
SPEAKER_00 (01:58):
And we're not talking about your traditional
scarecrow that you see, likekind of the generic one, right?
SPEAKER_01 (02:05):
Nah, it's it's not the ones that just have the hay
out of the hands and like afloppy hat.
These the businesses andorganizations that do these,
they really go all out, getinvolved, get invested.
I mean, we've seen anything fromlike a straw dog be a scarecrow
before.
Oh, I love that one to likebutterfly, Corilla Deville,
Corella Deville, a beautiful,like autumn goddess looking by
(02:30):
landmark realty.
I mean, you can really getanything in downtown when it
comes to Scarecrow Fest.
But one thing we've done thisyear to kind of tailor it and
make it even more special iswe've added a theme to it.
Yes.
So all of our scarecrows will befollowing the theme of storybook
characters.
So cute.
Just think of your favoritechildhood nursery rhyme, the
favorite storybook you grew up,like reading at bedtime every
(02:53):
night, or even the newer books.
I know we're gonna have a Petethe Cat on the street.
That's gonna be so much fun.
So, I mean, literally anythingyou can imagine, the classics of
like Humpty Dumpty.
We've got some Harry Pottercharacters that'll show up in
downtown.
Um, so any storybook characterthat you can imagine, there's a
chance they're gonna be downtownthis October.
SPEAKER_00 (03:14):
That's great.
So we talked about this ishappening in October.
So is it a certain time ofOctober or how can people come
and visit?
SPEAKER_01 (03:22):
Yes.
So Scarecrows will go up at likelate September.
So from October 1 to October31st, you will be able to see
over 37 scarecrows placedthroughout downtown.
SPEAKER_00 (03:32):
And I think there's a voting option too as well.
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (03:36):
So we will be doing a voting via a QR code and a
passport this year.
That'll be an opportunity foryou to vote for your top three
favorite scarecrows that you seelocated in downtown Perry.
So you'll be able to vote for upto three.
You can vote for one if youwant, but you'll have you can
pick your top three via ourvoting platform this year.
And all of our scarecrows thatare placed downtown will have
(03:56):
information on how to vote, theQR code that needs to get
scanned so that you canparticipate in that voting
process.
And I'm proud to share that overthe past couple of years that
we've continued to do ScarecrowFest, our numbers are increasing
year after year.
Yes.
Um, so back in 2023, we had 24scarecrows, and this year at in
2025, we have over 37.
SPEAKER_00 (04:15):
Oh, it's gonna be it's just gonna be packed and
it's gonna be fun.
Yeah, you know, just seeing allof that creativity in while
you're walking down historicdowntown Perry.
I mean, it's gonna put you inthe fall spirit.
SPEAKER_01 (04:27):
Oh, 100%.
Even if it's still 80 degreesoutside.
That's right.
It'll feel like fall.
Yeah, we can pretend it'll feellike fall downtown just like by
using by seeing everythingdecorated.
Um, so this is a great activityfor families that might be
staying local over fall breakfor our citizens and residents
that aren't traveling over theHouston County School fall
break.
Come check out Downtown Perry,you know, maybe grab a quick
(04:49):
bite to eat while you'redowntown or shopping and bring
the kids and check out all thescarecrows that that tell of the
storybook tales.
SPEAKER_00 (04:56):
Historic Downtown Perry has a Facebook and an
Instagram and, of course, thewebsite.
So we'll make sure that we putthe um instructions on how to uh
participate in the voting there.
So make sure you give them afollow and a like.
That'll be awesome.
Yes.
So also in October is theHistoric Downtown Perry beer
(05:17):
tasting.
Yes.
So this is actually anotherfundraiser similar to wine
tasting, correct?
SPEAKER_01 (05:22):
Exactly.
So um this is going to be ourfall fundraiser for the Main
Street Advisory Board, just likethe wine tasting, and it'll
operate very similarly.
So we'll explain the details ofthat in just a second.
But these fundraising eventsthat are done in downtown in
support of the Main StreetAdvisory Board go towards their
project efforts ofbeautification, placemaking
activities, and promotions thathelp support our downtown
(05:45):
businesses.
Any sort of giveaways we do withdowntown dollars around the
holiday season or during thesummer months, the support and
the funds that are raised fromthis go towards all those
projects.
So the funds that are raised areput right back into downtown
Perry to support our businesses,to support our merchants, and to
support the beautiful place thatwe loved people to come visit.
SPEAKER_00 (06:06):
That's right.
And it's doing so well so far.
Because it's absolutelybeautiful.
Yes.
Even though we're a littlebiased, it's still the truth.
Yes.
So beer tasting.
So let's talk about that.
SPEAKER_01 (06:15):
Yes.
So how it works, it's gonna, ifyou've if you've attended our
wine tasting over the past 10years, it's gonna be the exact
same model and flow, but insteadof sampling wine, you'll sample
a variety of beers or seltzersor ciders or meads, anything
within that beer family is gonnakind of be something that you
can find at this event onOctober 17th.
So we will have 20 beer stopsthat you'll be able to sample
(06:38):
from while you are walkingaround downtown Perry.
It is a$50 ticket to get you toparticipate in all those
samplings.
And then there's live music.
You'll get a tasting passportthat so you can stamp all your
stops and know how many stopsthat you've hit along the way.
And you also get a custom beercup, a custom event tasting cup
(07:00):
sponsored by Coss Heart Designfor this event.
So that's where all your sampleswill go.
It's a cute little like acrylicmug, like it looks like a little
beer, beer stein or a littlebeer mug.
SPEAKER_00 (07:09):
Yeah, and it's reusable just like our little
wine tasting.
Exactly.
It's a souvenir to take homewhen you're done with the event.
That's right, that's right.
So, where can people go topurchase tickets?
SPEAKER_01 (07:19):
Yes, tickets are available online through ticket
sign up.
Please only purchase yourtickets online, and that's the
safest, most secure way to getyour ticket.
It's a$50 ticket, and there'salso a link on our Facebook and
website for downtown.
Tickets are in limitedavailability, so I encourage
everybody to get them fast.
You know, historically, our winetasting sells out.
We're expecting the same thingfrom this one.
(07:40):
So if this is something thatyou're interested for a good,
elegant fall night in downtownPerry, go ahead and secure those
tickets as soon as possible sothat you can participate in all
of the samples and all thatthere is to offer.
SPEAKER_00 (07:51):
And that's an experience that no one else can
offer together.
SPEAKER_01 (07:53):
Yeah, it's really unique because you get to walk
the streets of downtown.
We close the streets so it'ssafe for all of our attendees.
We, like I said, we put livemusic on the lawn.
Our band's gonna be Company ofCrows based out of here in
Houston County.
Yes, like a local favorite.
So it's a great opportunity tocome out and enjoy an elegant
fall evening in downtown.
And if you're looking to makesure that you can get home
(08:14):
safely, we do offer a courtesyshuttle that's to get you home
safely, that's operated by ourpolice department, and it'll
take you anywhere you you needto go within the city limits.
SPEAKER_00 (08:22):
Yes, so you can have fun and depend on them for a
safe ride home.
That's right.
Awesome.
So let's switch gears a littlebit and talk about ghouls night
out.
Yes.
Yes.
So that is kind of a differenttype of vibe for downtown.
SPEAKER_01 (08:37):
So this is an extended shopping hours.
That's what we're going for.
We are going for a shop lateright at the holiday season.
So the idea is you grab yourgirls for a girl's night out or
a ghoul's night out.
Ghouls, yes.
Yes.
And you come downtown and you goshopping.
Right now we got over 10businesses that are
participating in this shop latenight.
So these businesses will be openfrom the hours of 5 to 8 p.m.
(09:01):
So if you if you have a typicaljob where it's hard for you to
get to downtown Perry on aweekday night, this is your
chance.
This is gonna be a greatopportunity.
You know, Scarecrow Fest willstill be running.
So we'll have all of ourscarecrows downtown.
Downtown will still bedecorated.
We'll get our corn stocks up onour light post.
So you'll really be able to bein that fall Halloween spirit
downtown.
(09:21):
A lot of our businesses andretail businesses offer sort of
promotions.
I was about to say the drawings.
SPEAKER_00 (09:27):
The discounts are amazing.
SPEAKER_01 (09:29):
Yeah, they do fun like drawings to like draw for a
discount or a raffle prize, orwith each purchase, you get a
raffle ticket.
Like they do certain certainpromotions and giveaways to
support this shop lateinitiative to make it beneficial
for everyone that's coming.
SPEAKER_00 (09:43):
And not to forget, our restaurants, they usually do
some really fun things.
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (09:49):
Tratteria's told me that they're doing uh a drink
special that night.
They I know that they're gettingready to release some fall
specials, drink specials likesangrias and stuff like that.
SPEAKER_00 (09:58):
Perfect opportunity.
SPEAKER_01 (09:59):
With our open container district downtown,
you're able to grab a drink fromany of our businesses downtown
at a plastic cup and keep yourevening moving along.
SPEAKER_00 (10:07):
Oh gosh.
And I know that the ghoulsalways love to gather and just
have a great time.
SPEAKER_01 (10:14):
Yeah, last year we saw a group of ladies come from
out of town, they're all wearingmatching t-shirts and just
wanted to come shop late with usone night.
Exactly what it's meant for.
Exactly.
They they hit the mark.
That's right.
SPEAKER_00 (10:24):
Have fun with it.
So tell us again when ghoul'snight out is.
SPEAKER_01 (10:28):
Yes, so this is gonna be on Thursday, October
30th from 5 p.m.
to 8 p.m.
This is the perfect opportunityto come shop late downtown on a
weeknight.
Perfect.
SPEAKER_00 (10:37):
Okay, so one of our favorite, there's that word
again, of downtown is what welike to call candy and chaos,
right?
So we're talking about theannual sweets and treats event
in historic downtown Perry.
So, Alicia, give us give us allthe details on that one.
SPEAKER_01 (10:54):
Yeah, let me give you the rundown on sweets and
treats.
So, this is an opportunity wherekids can wear their Halloween
costumes in downtown andtrick-or-treat in a very safe
environment.
We close the streets to carsdowntown.
We get our downtown businessescome and give out candies and
treats, and then we invite otherbusinesses that are interested
in setting up a booth to passout more candies, more trinkets,
more treats.
(11:14):
Sweets and treats, that's whatit's about.
This event this year is onFriday, October 31st.
It is on Halloween, but it'sfrom 4 p.m.
to 6 p.m.
So it's before those traditionalneighborhood trick-or-treating
hours.
Right.
So you can come downtown, dostop one of Halloween
trick-or-treating, and then goback to your neighborhoods and
go trick-or-treating with allyour neighbors from the typical
(11:34):
six to eight time frame.
SPEAKER_00 (11:36):
Double the fun.
SPEAKER_01 (11:36):
That's right, double the fun.
Our registration for this, weare still accepting people that
are interested in passing outcandy, okay.
Is open until October 20th.
So we got a little bit more timefor that.
So if your business isinterested, business or
organization, like a nonprofitorganization is interested in
passing out flyers oropportunity to the adults and
then passing out, you know,spider rings or candy to the
(11:57):
kids that are theretrick-or-treating, this is a
perfect outreach opportunity foranyone that might be interested.
Right now we have 34organizations that are going to
be setting up, passing outtricks and treats.
SPEAKER_00 (12:08):
But we can always use more, right?
SPEAKER_01 (12:09):
Always use more.
I mean, we have we have had over4,000 of our closest family
friends and neighbors inhistoric downtown Perry over a
span of two hours to cometrick-or-treating with us.
So it is a sight to be seen.
SPEAKER_00 (12:21):
Oh, yeah.
And the really cool part, um,especially in years past, is the
whole family will dress up.
SPEAKER_01 (12:28):
Yes, it's not just the kids.
It's not just the kids dressingup.
You get the whole familydressing up.
I mean, I've seen, you know, youget all the Toy Story
characters.
Yes.
And then like our businesses andorganizations that participate
too.
They all get dressed up.
I've seen like all the witchesand wizards for Harry Potter
have have dressed up before whenthey're giving out candy and and
trinkets to kids.
SPEAKER_00 (12:47):
And the blow-up dinosaur.
Yeah.
I don't know how they gave outcandy and that, but the blow-up
minion running around thestreets of Carol.
SPEAKER_01 (12:54):
Like, you know what I mean?
Like, you just get all sorts ofthings.
SPEAKER_00 (12:56):
It's just, it's another way to just cap off the
Halloween season.
That's right.
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (13:02):
We're very busy in October.
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (13:05):
Yes.
And that's not even counting theChristmas, but stay tuned for
another podcast episode soonabout all the things going on.
SPEAKER_01 (13:11):
We gotta talk about the holidays and a whole and a
whole nother episode.
That's right.
SPEAKER_00 (13:15):
We need two parts just to cover it.
So we have all this going on inOctober in historic downtown
Perry.
So, but what's the one constantthing that's always there
throughout the whole year?
SPEAKER_01 (13:26):
Yeah.
Throughout the whole year, youcan find the Perry Farmers
Market every Saturday indowntown Perry from 9 a.m.
to 1 p.m.
at the corner of Ball and MainStreet.
And we have some wonderful,reliable vendors that are there.
I mean, really, the fallseason's the best time to go out
to the farmer's market because Imean you get you still get some
really great fresh produce, butthe weather is enjoyable to go
shopping on your Saturdaymorning.
(13:48):
It's always preferable.
Yes, yes.
The cooler weather's alwaysbetter.
And something that we're excitedto roll out in partnership with
the farmers market beginning inOctober is a second Saturday
artisan showcase.
So on the second Saturdays ofOctober, November, and December,
we'll be doing an expandedmarket behind City Hall along
Main Street in that parking lotfor some additional artisans,
(14:09):
baked good vendors, and thingslike that that we can't normally
accommodate on a regularSaturday.
Right.
So as we gear up for the holidayseason, people are starting to
think about shopping for giftsand things like that.
We wanted we wanted to give someof our local artisans another
outlet to meet some customers.
So if you're looking forsomething to do on a typical
Saturday, always join us at thePerry Farmers Market at the
(14:30):
corner of Ball and Maine.
SPEAKER_00 (14:31):
Awesome.
From 9 a.m.
to 1 p.m.
every Saturday.
So so Alicia, like I said, we'llhave to do this in two parts,
but the historic downtown Perry,this is just when it thrives.
Yes.
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (14:43):
So you're just cutting the surface on the
second half of the year,basically.
Exactly.
Exactly.
SPEAKER_00 (14:49):
So regardless of what time of year it is, we
always welcome you to historicdowntown Perry, but especially
during the holiday season,there's just something super
magical about that.
So just to recap, you know,Scarecrow Fest happening uh all
of October.
We got the beer tasting onOctober 17th.
Uh tickets are very limited, soyou want to make sure that you
(15:09):
secure your ticket for that andhave a unique experience in
historic downtown Perry.
And then, of course, Ghoul'sNight Outs is one of our come
shopping with us.
All right, come shopping, enjoythe cocktails, the retail sales,
and just that really funatmosphere down in historic
downtown Perry.
And then, of course, our sweetsand treats where everybody just
(15:31):
comes together.
We do candy.
For those that you can't docandy, a lot of other uh
merchants will also do eitherbouncy balls or something that's
non-candy related that happenson October 31st.
And of course, every Saturday wecan look at the farmers market
and visit them from 9 to 1 p.m.
There's something for everyone.
There is starting in October.
(15:52):
There is a little bit ofeverything.
Yes.
So as mentioned before, giveHistoric Downtown Perry a like
and a follow on Facebook andInstagram.
And of course, the website.
You can go to peri-ga.gov andthen click on that downtown link
at the very top of the page.
And of course, we'll have a lotof this in the show notes.
But be sure to give them a likeand follow.
(16:14):
So, Alicia, I'm gonna let you gobecause I know that you have a
ton of work to do.
Awesome.
Well, stay tuned again for uhanother episode featuring Alicia
and all the great thingshappening in historic downtown
Perry.
Thanks for listening to theInside Perry Podcast, your
inside look at Perry's localgovernment.
(16:35):
Take a look at the show notesfor more information about
today's episode.
If you like Inside Perry, weencourage you to subscribe and
share the podcast with yourfriends and family.
We look forward to seeing youaround in our amazing community
where Georgia comes together.
Welcome to the Inside Perry Podcast, where you
get an inside look at Perry,Georgia's local government.
We're glad you chose Perry,where people make the
difference.
Whether you stay a few hours ora lifetime, your time in Perry
will be rewarding andunforgettable.
I'm Tabitha Clark,Communications Director for the
City of Perry.
(00:23):
And welcome back to the InsidePerry, Georgia podcast.
Today we are talking about oneof my absolute favorite times of
year, which is the fall.
But a second reason for myfavorite time of year is because
historic downtown Perry, itliterally lights up and just
comes to life with some greatfall events that we have.
(00:43):
So today we're talking withdowntown manager Alicia Hartley.
Hey Tabitha, thanks for havingme.
Sure.
So let's get right into itbecause this is downtown's busy
season or the start ofdowntown's busy season.
SPEAKER_01 (00:54):
This kicks it off and we are nonstop till the end
of December.
That's right.
SPEAKER_00 (00:58):
It's just a little train track.
Keep going.
One of my favorites is theannual downtown Perry Scarecrow
Fest.
Yes.
It's hard to have one favoritewhen we're talking about October
in downtown.
It is, it is.
So let's, for those that have noidea what Scarecrow Fest is,
give us a little taste of what'sgoing on.
SPEAKER_01 (01:16):
Yeah.
So this is an opportunity.
It originally started with justour businesses located in
downtown, um, where they put upa scarecrow in front of their
shop or their business or theirrestaurant, just to help us
decorate and get in that fallfeel.
Um, but over the years, it hasgrown and expanded that we um
accept registrations forscarecrows from anyone that's
(01:38):
interested in doing it.
They don't have to have abusiness in downtown Perry or in
Perry alone.
Like it could be a business oran organization from the greater
Houston County area.
We've had um families and likeuh homeschool co-ops sign up to
do a creative scarecrow.
It really just gets yourcreative juices flowing, and
then the more scarecrowsdowntown, the better.
SPEAKER_00 (01:58):
And we're not talking about your traditional
scarecrow that you see, likekind of the generic one, right?
SPEAKER_01 (02:05):
Nah, it's it's not the ones that just have the hay
out of the hands and like afloppy hat.
These the businesses andorganizations that do these,
they really go all out, getinvolved, get invested.
I mean, we've seen anything fromlike a straw dog be a scarecrow
before.
Oh, I love that one to likebutterfly, Corilla Deville,
Corella Deville, a beautiful,like autumn goddess looking by
(02:30):
landmark realty.
I mean, you can really getanything in downtown when it
comes to Scarecrow Fest.
But one thing we've done thisyear to kind of tailor it and
make it even more special iswe've added a theme to it.
Yes.
So all of our scarecrows will befollowing the theme of storybook
characters.
So cute.
Just think of your favoritechildhood nursery rhyme, the
favorite storybook you grew up,like reading at bedtime every
(02:53):
night, or even the newer books.
I know we're gonna have a Petethe Cat on the street.
That's gonna be so much fun.
So, I mean, literally anythingyou can imagine, the classics of
like Humpty Dumpty.
We've got some Harry Pottercharacters that'll show up in
downtown.
Um, so any storybook characterthat you can imagine, there's a
chance they're gonna be downtownthis October.
SPEAKER_00 (03:14):
That's great.
So we talked about this ishappening in October.
So is it a certain time ofOctober or how can people come
and visit?
SPEAKER_01 (03:22):
Yes.
So Scarecrows will go up at likelate September.
So from October 1 to October31st, you will be able to see
over 37 scarecrows placedthroughout downtown.
SPEAKER_00 (03:32):
And I think there's a voting option too as well.
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (03:36):
So we will be doing a voting via a QR code and a
passport this year.
That'll be an opportunity foryou to vote for your top three
favorite scarecrows that you seelocated in downtown Perry.
So you'll be able to vote for upto three.
You can vote for one if youwant, but you'll have you can
pick your top three via ourvoting platform this year.
And all of our scarecrows thatare placed downtown will have
(03:56):
information on how to vote, theQR code that needs to get
scanned so that you canparticipate in that voting
process.
And I'm proud to share that overthe past couple of years that
we've continued to do ScarecrowFest, our numbers are increasing
year after year.
Yes.
Um, so back in 2023, we had 24scarecrows, and this year at in
2025, we have over 37.
SPEAKER_00 (04:15):
Oh, it's gonna be it's just gonna be packed and
it's gonna be fun.
Yeah, you know, just seeing allof that creativity in while
you're walking down historicdowntown Perry.
I mean, it's gonna put you inthe fall spirit.
SPEAKER_01 (04:27):
Oh, 100%.
Even if it's still 80 degreesoutside.
That's right.
It'll feel like fall.
Yeah, we can pretend it'll feellike fall downtown just like by
using by seeing everythingdecorated.
Um, so this is a great activityfor families that might be
staying local over fall breakfor our citizens and residents
that aren't traveling over theHouston County School fall
break.
Come check out Downtown Perry,you know, maybe grab a quick
(04:49):
bite to eat while you'redowntown or shopping and bring
the kids and check out all thescarecrows that that tell of the
storybook tales.
SPEAKER_00 (04:56):
Historic Downtown Perry has a Facebook and an
Instagram and, of course, thewebsite.
So we'll make sure that we putthe um instructions on how to uh
participate in the voting there.
So make sure you give them afollow and a like.
That'll be awesome.
Yes.
So also in October is theHistoric Downtown Perry beer
(05:17):
tasting.
Yes.
So this is actually anotherfundraiser similar to wine
tasting, correct?
SPEAKER_01 (05:22):
Exactly.
So um this is going to be ourfall fundraiser for the Main
Street Advisory Board, just likethe wine tasting, and it'll
operate very similarly.
So we'll explain the details ofthat in just a second.
But these fundraising eventsthat are done in downtown in
support of the Main StreetAdvisory Board go towards their
project efforts ofbeautification, placemaking
activities, and promotions thathelp support our downtown
(05:45):
businesses.
Any sort of giveaways we do withdowntown dollars around the
holiday season or during thesummer months, the support and
the funds that are raised fromthis go towards all those
projects.
So the funds that are raised areput right back into downtown
Perry to support our businesses,to support our merchants, and to
support the beautiful place thatwe loved people to come visit.
SPEAKER_00 (06:06):
That's right.
And it's doing so well so far.
Because it's absolutelybeautiful.
Yes.
Even though we're a littlebiased, it's still the truth.
Yes.
So beer tasting.
So let's talk about that.
SPEAKER_01 (06:15):
Yes.
So how it works, it's gonna, ifyou've if you've attended our
wine tasting over the past 10years, it's gonna be the exact
same model and flow, but insteadof sampling wine, you'll sample
a variety of beers or seltzersor ciders or meads, anything
within that beer family is gonnakind of be something that you
can find at this event onOctober 17th.
So we will have 20 beer stopsthat you'll be able to sample
(06:38):
from while you are walkingaround downtown Perry.
It is a$50 ticket to get you toparticipate in all those
samplings.
And then there's live music.
You'll get a tasting passportthat so you can stamp all your
stops and know how many stopsthat you've hit along the way.
And you also get a custom beercup, a custom event tasting cup
(07:00):
sponsored by Coss Heart Designfor this event.
So that's where all your sampleswill go.
It's a cute little like acrylicmug, like it looks like a little
beer, beer stein or a littlebeer mug.
SPEAKER_00 (07:09):
Yeah, and it's reusable just like our little
wine tasting.
Exactly.
It's a souvenir to take homewhen you're done with the event.
That's right, that's right.
So, where can people go topurchase tickets?
SPEAKER_01 (07:19):
Yes, tickets are available online through ticket
sign up.
Please only purchase yourtickets online, and that's the
safest, most secure way to getyour ticket.
It's a$50 ticket, and there'salso a link on our Facebook and
website for downtown.
Tickets are in limitedavailability, so I encourage
everybody to get them fast.
You know, historically, our winetasting sells out.
We're expecting the same thingfrom this one.
(07:40):
So if this is something thatyou're interested for a good,
elegant fall night in downtownPerry, go ahead and secure those
tickets as soon as possible sothat you can participate in all
of the samples and all thatthere is to offer.
SPEAKER_00 (07:51):
And that's an experience that no one else can
offer together.
SPEAKER_01 (07:53):
Yeah, it's really unique because you get to walk
the streets of downtown.
We close the streets so it'ssafe for all of our attendees.
We, like I said, we put livemusic on the lawn.
Our band's gonna be Company ofCrows based out of here in
Houston County.
Yes, like a local favorite.
So it's a great opportunity tocome out and enjoy an elegant
fall evening in downtown.
And if you're looking to makesure that you can get home
(08:14):
safely, we do offer a courtesyshuttle that's to get you home
safely, that's operated by ourpolice department, and it'll
take you anywhere you you needto go within the city limits.
SPEAKER_00 (08:22):
Yes, so you can have fun and depend on them for a
safe ride home.
That's right.
Awesome.
So let's switch gears a littlebit and talk about ghouls night
out.
Yes.
Yes.
So that is kind of a differenttype of vibe for downtown.
SPEAKER_01 (08:37):
So this is an extended shopping hours.
That's what we're going for.
We are going for a shop lateright at the holiday season.
So the idea is you grab yourgirls for a girl's night out or
a ghoul's night out.
Ghouls, yes.
Yes.
And you come downtown and you goshopping.
Right now we got over 10businesses that are
participating in this shop latenight.
So these businesses will be openfrom the hours of 5 to 8 p.m.
(09:01):
So if you if you have a typicaljob where it's hard for you to
get to downtown Perry on aweekday night, this is your
chance.
This is gonna be a greatopportunity.
You know, Scarecrow Fest willstill be running.
So we'll have all of ourscarecrows downtown.
Downtown will still bedecorated.
We'll get our corn stocks up onour light post.
So you'll really be able to bein that fall Halloween spirit
downtown.
(09:21):
A lot of our businesses andretail businesses offer sort of
promotions.
I was about to say the drawings.
SPEAKER_00 (09:27):
The discounts are amazing.
SPEAKER_01 (09:29):
Yeah, they do fun like drawings to like draw for a
discount or a raffle prize, orwith each purchase, you get a
raffle ticket.
Like they do certain certainpromotions and giveaways to
support this shop lateinitiative to make it beneficial
for everyone that's coming.
SPEAKER_00 (09:43):
And not to forget, our restaurants, they usually do
some really fun things.
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (09:49):
Tratteria's told me that they're doing uh a drink
special that night.
They I know that they're gettingready to release some fall
specials, drink specials likesangrias and stuff like that.
SPEAKER_00 (09:58):
Perfect opportunity.
SPEAKER_01 (09:59):
With our open container district downtown,
you're able to grab a drink fromany of our businesses downtown
at a plastic cup and keep yourevening moving along.
SPEAKER_00 (10:07):
Oh gosh.
And I know that the ghoulsalways love to gather and just
have a great time.
SPEAKER_01 (10:14):
Yeah, last year we saw a group of ladies come from
out of town, they're all wearingmatching t-shirts and just
wanted to come shop late with usone night.
Exactly what it's meant for.
Exactly.
They they hit the mark.
That's right.
SPEAKER_00 (10:24):
Have fun with it.
So tell us again when ghoul'snight out is.
SPEAKER_01 (10:28):
Yes, so this is gonna be on Thursday, October
30th from 5 p.m.
to 8 p.m.
This is the perfect opportunityto come shop late downtown on a
weeknight.
Perfect.
SPEAKER_00 (10:37):
Okay, so one of our favorite, there's that word
again, of downtown is what welike to call candy and chaos,
right?
So we're talking about theannual sweets and treats event
in historic downtown Perry.
So, Alicia, give us give us allthe details on that one.
SPEAKER_01 (10:54):
Yeah, let me give you the rundown on sweets and
treats.
So, this is an opportunity wherekids can wear their Halloween
costumes in downtown andtrick-or-treat in a very safe
environment.
We close the streets to carsdowntown.
We get our downtown businessescome and give out candies and
treats, and then we invite otherbusinesses that are interested
in setting up a booth to passout more candies, more trinkets,
more treats.
(11:14):
Sweets and treats, that's whatit's about.
This event this year is onFriday, October 31st.
It is on Halloween, but it'sfrom 4 p.m.
to 6 p.m.
So it's before those traditionalneighborhood trick-or-treating
hours.
Right.
So you can come downtown, dostop one of Halloween
trick-or-treating, and then goback to your neighborhoods and
go trick-or-treating with allyour neighbors from the typical
(11:34):
six to eight time frame.
SPEAKER_00 (11:36):
Double the fun.
SPEAKER_01 (11:36):
That's right, double the fun.
Our registration for this, weare still accepting people that
are interested in passing outcandy, okay.
Is open until October 20th.
So we got a little bit more timefor that.
So if your business isinterested, business or
organization, like a nonprofitorganization is interested in
passing out flyers oropportunity to the adults and
then passing out, you know,spider rings or candy to the
(11:57):
kids that are theretrick-or-treating, this is a
perfect outreach opportunity foranyone that might be interested.
Right now we have 34organizations that are going to
be setting up, passing outtricks and treats.
SPEAKER_00 (12:08):
But we can always use more, right?
SPEAKER_01 (12:09):
Always use more.
I mean, we have we have had over4,000 of our closest family
friends and neighbors inhistoric downtown Perry over a
span of two hours to cometrick-or-treating with us.
So it is a sight to be seen.
SPEAKER_00 (12:21):
Oh, yeah.
And the really cool part, um,especially in years past, is the
whole family will dress up.
SPEAKER_01 (12:28):
Yes, it's not just the kids.
It's not just the kids dressingup.
You get the whole familydressing up.
I mean, I've seen, you know, youget all the Toy Story
characters.
Yes.
And then like our businesses andorganizations that participate
too.
They all get dressed up.
I've seen like all the witchesand wizards for Harry Potter
have have dressed up before whenthey're giving out candy and and
trinkets to kids.
SPEAKER_00 (12:47):
And the blow-up dinosaur.
Yeah.
I don't know how they gave outcandy and that, but the blow-up
minion running around thestreets of Carol.
SPEAKER_01 (12:54):
Like, you know what I mean?
Like, you just get all sorts ofthings.
SPEAKER_00 (12:56):
It's just, it's another way to just cap off the
Halloween season.
That's right.
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (13:02):
We're very busy in October.
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (13:05):
Yes.
And that's not even counting theChristmas, but stay tuned for
another podcast episode soonabout all the things going on.
SPEAKER_01 (13:11):
We gotta talk about the holidays and a whole and a
whole nother episode.
That's right.
SPEAKER_00 (13:15):
We need two parts just to cover it.
So we have all this going on inOctober in historic downtown
Perry.
So, but what's the one constantthing that's always there
throughout the whole year?
SPEAKER_01 (13:26):
Yeah.
Throughout the whole year, youcan find the Perry Farmers
Market every Saturday indowntown Perry from 9 a.m.
to 1 p.m.
at the corner of Ball and MainStreet.
And we have some wonderful,reliable vendors that are there.
I mean, really, the fallseason's the best time to go out
to the farmer's market because Imean you get you still get some
really great fresh produce, butthe weather is enjoyable to go
shopping on your Saturdaymorning.
(13:48):
It's always preferable.
Yes, yes.
The cooler weather's alwaysbetter.
And something that we're excitedto roll out in partnership with
the farmers market beginning inOctober is a second Saturday
artisan showcase.
So on the second Saturdays ofOctober, November, and December,
we'll be doing an expandedmarket behind City Hall along
Main Street in that parking lotfor some additional artisans,
(14:09):
baked good vendors, and thingslike that that we can't normally
accommodate on a regularSaturday.
Right.
So as we gear up for the holidayseason, people are starting to
think about shopping for giftsand things like that.
We wanted we wanted to give someof our local artisans another
outlet to meet some customers.
So if you're looking forsomething to do on a typical
Saturday, always join us at thePerry Farmers Market at the
(14:30):
corner of Ball and Maine.
SPEAKER_00 (14:31):
Awesome.
From 9 a.m.
to 1 p.m.
every Saturday.
So so Alicia, like I said, we'llhave to do this in two parts,
but the historic downtown Perry,this is just when it thrives.
Yes.
Yes.
SPEAKER_01 (14:43):
So you're just cutting the surface on the
second half of the year,basically.
Exactly.
Exactly.
SPEAKER_00 (14:49):
So regardless of what time of year it is, we
always welcome you to historicdowntown Perry, but especially
during the holiday season,there's just something super
magical about that.
So just to recap, you know,Scarecrow Fest happening uh all
of October.
We got the beer tasting onOctober 17th.
Uh tickets are very limited, soyou want to make sure that you
(15:09):
secure your ticket for that andhave a unique experience in
historic downtown Perry.
And then, of course, Ghoul'sNight Outs is one of our come
shopping with us.
All right, come shopping, enjoythe cocktails, the retail sales,
and just that really funatmosphere down in historic
downtown Perry.
And then, of course, our sweetsand treats where everybody just
(15:31):
comes together.
We do candy.
For those that you can't docandy, a lot of other uh
merchants will also do eitherbouncy balls or something that's
non-candy related that happenson October 31st.
And of course, every Saturday wecan look at the farmers market
and visit them from 9 to 1 p.m.
There's something for everyone.
There is starting in October.
(15:52):
There is a little bit ofeverything.
Yes.
So as mentioned before, giveHistoric Downtown Perry a like
and a follow on Facebook andInstagram.
And of course, the website.
You can go to peri-ga.gov andthen click on that downtown link
at the very top of the page.
And of course, we'll have a lotof this in the show notes.
But be sure to give them a likeand follow.
(16:14):
So, Alicia, I'm gonna let you gobecause I know that you have a
ton of work to do.
Awesome.
Well, stay tuned again for uhanother episode featuring Alicia
and all the great thingshappening in historic downtown
Perry.
Thanks for listening to theInside Perry Podcast, your
inside look at Perry's localgovernment.
(16:35):
Take a look at the show notesfor more information about
today's episode.
If you like Inside Perry, weencourage you to subscribe and
share the podcast with yourfriends and family.
We look forward to seeing youaround in our amazing community
where Georgia comes together.
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