Downtown quiet for now, but not for long

Now that the Mystery Wine Walk is over, it seems a little quiet downtown.

Now that the Mystery Wine Walk is over, it seems a little quiet downtown. In our region, September is a busy month for those involved with the fair, or parents who have students involved with football and sports, band or other fall-related activities. There’s tailgate party planning for family and friends to gather for Seahawk and college games and our local farmers are gathering pumpkins and creating corn mazes for the coming month’s festivities.

But while downtown may seem calm, I can guarantee everyone is busy planning for October. Councilman Leroy Goff is busy rounding up the troops in what has become a tradition of cutting, loading and roping. I know it sounds kind of like he’s joined the rodeo, but he’s really just working with volunteers to harvest cornstalks. Starting next week you’ll see them on Main Street to kick off the fall season. And downtown merchants are gearing up for the popular Autumn Evening on Oct. 3. Not only do the merchants stay open late from 5 to 8 p.m. and scarecrows line the street for the annual Scarecrow Contest, but Ascension Productions will be back to perform on Main Street. This year more than a dozen cast members will be dancing in the streets every half hour to another of Michael Jackson’s songs, “Ease on Down the Road” from “The Wiz.” In addition, the Celtic Maidens are back to perform their version of Irish folk dancing and the barbershop harmony of Artists in Resonance are back as well.

And for those of you who enjoyed the “Thriller” performance last year in the center of town, a little bird told me that we’ll be able to see an encore performance at 8 p.m.

In addition to Autumn Evening, our Come Walk With Me committee chairwoman Ida McLeary is busy with plans for the annual downtown breast cancer benefit which takes place Oct. 10.

The Old Cannery Furniture Warehouse is busy helping with plans to “pink” the bridge again and the Men in Pink will be back to cook pancakes for the walkers after they finish their trek around town. Plus, the Good Samaritan Foundation is helping with the event as all the proceeds go to the foundation for their local breast cancer awareness and wellness programs.

I get a kick out of Ida because if you are in any way related to her, then you are also working on this committee. She has three sisters, I don’t know how many nieces and nephews, husbands, brothers-in-law, friends and whoever else she has an e-mail address for working on this event. And I think she has every dental office between Auburn and Enumclaw involved. She is definitely my kind of gal. Word on the street is that she’s even got Tim Corliss promising to “pink” up one of his concrete trucks to lead the walkers over the bridge. You gotta love that!

So if you like cornstalks and scarecrows, Michael Jackson songs, Irish folk dancing, barbershop harmony, or the color pink, then October in Sumner is the month for you.

Mark Oct. 3 and 10 on your calendars because you definitely don’t want to miss spending some time downtown.