Paint The Town is Gearing Up for September 20 Activities

Paint the Town is gearing up for another year in Morrison Saturday, September 20. With a variety of entertainment and food vendors, Paint the Town has something for everyone, artists and non-artists alike.

A total of 1,300 squares will be available to be painted, with registration and pre-registration pickup at noon. Paint the Town board member Barb Bees advises participants to pre-register for the event, as squares will go fast.

Cost is $10 per square, which includes supplies and one Paint the Town t-shirt, with extra t-shirts available for purchase. Participants may pre-register by turning in registration forms to City Hall prior to September 20. Registration forms will be sent out with students the first week of school. Additional forms and information is available at City Hall at 772-7657.

Several bands and other entertainers also will be performing throughout the day. Among the bands performing will be ten-member steel drum band Steel Crazy, performing from noon to 3 p.m.; Backwater Bayou, performing from noon to 5 p.m.; Kawsay, performing music from the Andes from noon to 2 p.m.; and John Janssen and his son, performing from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

To close out the night, Moonlight DJ Service will play a variety of hits for the Paint the Town crowd from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Other entertainers returning from last year include magician Jason Hamilton and Billy the Balloon Guy. Each performer will patrol the streets, dazzling the crowd with their talents. Hamilton will show off his magic tricks from noon to 5 p.m., while Billy the Balloon Guy will entertain children from 1 to 7 p.m.

Another highlight of the Paint the Town festivities is the array of food vendors. Among those at the main food court, located at Main and Genesee streets, are: Oasis Shaved Ice, Granny’s Sugar Shack, featuring kettle corn, mini donuts, funnel cakes and fried Oreos; Ebenezer Reformed Church, with walking tacos and hot dogs; and Fun Fare, featuring corn dogs, chicken tenders, French fries, cheese fries, mozzarella sticks, nachos, pork tenderloins, ice cream and soft pretzels.

All the vendors will serve through the dinner hour, so plan on having dinner on Main Street and enjoying the music of the Moonlight DJ Service.

For the painters’ convenience, the Morrison Kiwanis Club will be selling pork chops, brats and hot dogs at the west food court, and the Morrison Seahorse Swim Club will sell hamburgers, chicken breasts and hot dogs at the east food court.

Paint the Town festivities would not be possible without all of its sponsors. This year’s sponsors include:

Exelon • Fitzgerald Pharmacy • Sterling Gazette • Wells Fargo Bank • City of Morrison

Altronic Coils • American Piping Group • Blackhawk Lumber • Community State Bank • Dairy Queen • Dr. William Simpson • Farmers National Bank • Happy Joe’s • Kohl’s • Law Offices of William R. Shirk • Medical Associates • 3M • Subway • Super Wash

Climco Coils Company • Coplan & Buckwalter • Ken Kophamer Realty • Mickley Insurance • Law Offices of Lester Weinstine • Pignatelli & Mertes • Tegeler Accounting • U.S. Cellular • Whiteside News Sentinel