In 2023, Beth Finnell (The Press) got together some downtown locals- Angie Schuelke (Indigo), Christy Goza (Bank of Cleveland, now Builtwell Bank), Rob McGowan (Mash & Hops) and Michael Poore & Clay Walker (Catch Bar and Grill) to share an idea. And that afternoon with a few great minds and a bottle of vino- Witches, Wine & Spirits Stroll was born. Sharon Marr (MainStreet Cleveland) and Ross Tarver (Tarver Distributing) stepped up and partnered with us creating an annual tradition the Saturday before Halloween in downtown Cleveland, Tennessee.
This event was created for Breast Cancer awareness and to raise funds for mammograms for women that could not otherwise afford them. Today the funds go to the Bradley Healthcare Foundation for the Bradley Hospital Women’s Center earmarked for mammograms and breast cancer patient support.
It is important to note “The Stroll” is not compiled of real witches. It is just a fun, adult Halloween theme. Also, it is not a girls only event. This event is for anyone and everyone over 21. The age limitation is due to alcohol permits and event insurance contracts.
The Witches, Wine & Spirits Stroll is the first event in Cleveland, TN that was permitted to serve alcohol on a closed public street. This process involves several permit processes each year including but not limited to: City of Cleveland Event Permit, Noise Permit, Street Closure Permit, Special Occasion Beer Permit, ABC Special Occasion License. A special thank you to the City of Cleveland Council members that voted YES this year to make this event possible: David May, Ken Webb, Dan Moore, Tom Cassada and Hiawatha Brown.
We operate under the MainStreet Cleveland (Sharon Marr) umbrella and the Community Foundation of the Ocoee Region (Lisa Geren) collects and distributes the funds. This allows for a very transparent process and a tax deductible donation for the givers.
A large part of this event are the downtown restaurants that come together and donate 100% of the food and drinks served for attendees. This year, the line up includes: Cafe Roma, Brick and Vine, Inman Social, Headricks, The Press, Mash and Hops and Santorini Spoon.
For the last several years we have featured the same band- FlashDrive. They are a premier party band out of Chattanooga, TN that features top 40 hits, covering 12 different musical genres and spanning 7 decades. They also feature two of the best female vocalists this side of the Mississippi -and they put on a show.
A big surprise this year is the revamping of the VIP Room. The VIP room is only accessible by sponsors or via the special VIP ticket. And let’s just say you will need directions to the secret door and a secret password to enter!
And for the first year ever, we have a Platinum Level Sponsor- Coldwell Banker Kinard Realty. They have played a role every year, however this year they have stepped up in a big way. We appreciate all our friends at Coldwell Banker Kinard Realty and their passion for the cause.
As always, breast cancer survivors enter for free. General admission tickets are $50 each and VIP tickets are $100 each. Tickets are on sale now at The Press and Builtwell Bank Downtown Cleveland Office and online here.
I hope to see you there!
