Muncie’s Fire Up DWNTWN event, which took place Saturday, Sept. 21, was packed with eager vendors and anticipatory locals and their families looking for a good time.
In 2023, a public statement released by the city’s Downtown Development announced that the event would return after a “resounding success” that drew over 11,000 visitors in the summer of 2022.
The success of its first year prompted the event director for Muncie Downtown Development Cheryl Crowder to make the event bigger and better.
“Building on the tremendous support and enthusiasm from our community, we’ve worked on bringing new events and attractions for everyone to enjoy,” Crowder said in the public statement.
This year, the street fest was dubbed “the summer event you don’t dare miss” with “ a new date and more sizzle,” according to the event’s information page.
First-time attendees Diamond Watson, a second-year psychology student at Ball State, and Audrey Ravenstein, a first-year diagnostic medical sonography student at Muncie’s Ivy Tech branch, were happy to take part in the local festivities.
“I keep up with the things that go on down here — anything to get out of the house,” Ravenstein said.
The street fest was also an epicenter for vendors of small businesses in the community.
“I bought so much today,” Watson said. Her favorite purchase was a five-dollar self-portrait.
Beyond the aisles of vendor stalls, the event also offered a host of activities for friends and family, including hot-air balloon rides and bouncy houses.
“I’ve never seen a hot-air balloon before. This is my first time seeing one. I’m like, ‘Oh, they’re real … They’re not just in puzzles,’” said Krisi Michael, a Ball State psychological science graduate student.
Michael attended the event with fellow graduate students Elijah Wibven, a fellow psychological science major, and Ashton Lyvers, a critical psychology major.
“We're looking for ways to bond in our cohort,” Lyvers said. “We're new to being here in Muncie, so we’re looking for ways to kind of meet our cohort and get closer with everyone in the local community.”
Lyvers said similar community-bonding events are what helped the trio become so close-knit early in the academic year, as the three friends met at the beginning of the fall semester.
“We’ve been here [only] a month and a half, but I’ve already seen so many Muncie, local, community-sponsored events. I really enjoy that the town is trying to get people out [into the community],” Lyvers said.
Those looking for other community-centric bonding events can visit Downtown Muncie’s webpage for a calendar of upcoming events.
Contact Katherine Hill via email at katherine.hill@bsu.edu.
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