Visitors to the City of Westerville might think the uptown area sits at the center of a strong magnetic force.

That could, after all, explain why droves of Westerville residents and visitors are pulled toward this area from 6-9 p.m. on the fourth Friday of every month between April and September.

Those who know the city, however, know its secret. For 10 years, the Westerville Visitors and Convention Bureau has hosted Fourth Fridays, street festivals complete with more than 100 vendors and merchants, food and entertainment – from bands to belly dancers – and an underlying sense of community spirit.

These events – by most accounts – started in 2000 and were originally named “Market Days,” according to Jeff Hartnell, executive director for the WVCB. The initial formula was simple and remains the same today.

“We want to offer a reason for people to come Uptown and see what’s here – to reintroduce Westerville to the people who live here. We want to make their city inviting and a way to do that is to have what is, essentially, this large community block party every month,” Hartnell says.

The concept, however, got off to a slow start. Most suburbs the size of Westerville grew dramatically throughout the past few decades, which spread residents out further and created a growing disconnect between them and the hearts of their communities. More people subscribed to convenience, which meant shopping at strip malls closer to their homes, and the Uptown area became slightly anemic.

“In the 1970s and ‘80s, there was such a growth in suburbs that the towns – like Worthington and Dublin and us – were losing their uptown identity. It was tough for merchants to compete with conveniences. Our original idea to have these gatherings and get people to come back to Uptown and see for themselves was good on paper, but at the time, there wasn’t much going on there,” Hartnell says.

The original idea to get people to come to the Uptown area came from the Uptown Merchants Association, which began sponsoring small events on the fourth Friday of each month. About eight years ago, the WVCB took over, reintroduced the idea and changed the name to Fourth Fridays.


Within the past six or seven years, the growth in attendance and participating merchants and entertainers has grown exponentially. Along with the growth in attendance came an increasingly diverse slate of uptown shops. These include children’s clothes, original art, cigars, furniture, a bustling seasonal farmer’s market, restaurants, lodging options and a district Web site (www.uptownmerchants.com).

With this expansion, the WVCB began getting more entities involved in the participation and organization of Fourth Fridays, including the city, schools, Otterbein College, the Westerville Arts Council, conservation organizations and more. The intention with these partnerships was to create a broad interest for as many people as possible. The idea worked.

Last year’s Fourth Friday events each averaged more than 6,000 attendees. About five years ago, that number was between 1,000 and 1,500.

“It was 1,000 average, then 3,000 and then 4,000 and now we’re at 6,000 and we hope it continues to grow in a controlled way. We have an outstanding mix of shops and eateries and we get people up here for music, performers, family-friendly activities, vendors. We try to keep a lot of different things going on so it appeals to as many people as possible,” Hartnell says.

Another added appeal is the theme attached to each Fourth Friday. The April 23 event is called “Uptown Alive,” because it is the series kickoff and people “feel more energized,” Hartnell says. The May 28 “Back to Nature” event features environmental organizations, representatives from the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, conservationists and more. On June 25, members of the police and fire divisions come out for the “Safety Fest” event, while The “World Bazaar” is July 23.

“We use this event to celebrate the (differences) in our community. There are more than 60 nationalities represented in our school system, and we try to embrace as many as we can. We have reggae music, Irish and Scottish groups, German bands, anything we can think of to get an international flavor,” Hartnell says.

Traditionally, the most popular Fourth Friday has been August’s Dog Days of Summer. It includes a “Mutt March” where owners can show off their pooches, and fundraising efforts for shelter/rescue groups, including the Capital Area Humane Society.

“There is no question that Westerville loves its canines. It’s a very entertaining event and fun to watch,” Hartnell says.

The final event, on Sept. 24, is “School Daze,” which provides an opportunity for private and public schools, preschools and more to showcase their programs and work.

Although there are differences based on each theme, all Fourth Fridays showcase the vendors, bands and performances, food and, most importantly, the crowd.

“This is intended to be the best example of how you can build community spirit. You’ve got camaraderie between the merchants and you have energy in the crowds, and you’ve got a sense of pride and ownership about where you live,” Hartnell says. “Our objective is not to be a moneymaker, but to introduce people to the community so they stay here and spend money here and appreciate living here.”

For more information, visit www.visitwesterville.org or call 614-794-0401.

Alicia Kelso is a contributing editor for Westerville Magazine.

BONUS: If you go …
The Fourth Friday schedule in Uptown Westerville is listed as follows. For more information, visit www.visitwesterville.org.  

April 23, 6-9 p.m, “Uptown Alive”
May 28, 6-9 p.m., “Back to Nature”
June 25, 6-9 p.m., “Safety Fest”
July 23, 6-9 p.m., “World Bazaar”
Aug. 27, 6-9 p.m., “Dog Days of Summer”
Sept. 24, 6-9 p.m., “School Daze”