Six downtown Fairport Harbor businesses are throwing open their doors together this Saturday for Witches Night Out, a bash built around costumes, a DJ, a pumpkin decorating contest and a kid zone — plus a climb up a lighthouse tower some say is haunted. The event folds in shops, restaurants, a candy store and even an art studio, turning a few downtown blocks into one long Halloween crawl.
The gathering centers on the Fairport Harbor Marine Museum and Lighthouse, with Julie Victor, an event coordinator with the Fairport Harbor Business Alliance, involved in the event. The museum and lighthouse are hosting the event, with the museum reopening specifically for a special haunted lighthouse tower experience, according to news5cleveland.com. The museum has separately run a Friday Night Lights fundraiser tour, letting visitors climb the lighthouse's 69-step, 60-foot tower without a reservation — a draw that ties into the lighthouse's role as the weekend's centerpiece. Fundraisers like that help keep the historic structure standing, since the organization that runs it does not receive regular funding.
That upkeep falls to the Fairport Harbor Historical Society, led by president Marty O’Gara, which maintains the lighthouse. O’Gara is also the source of the tower's spookiest rumor: a ghost cat said to roam the structure, a detail that fits neatly with Witches Night Out's special haunted lighthouse tower experience this weekend.
A Downtown Crawl of Costumes, Candy and Crepes
The Lyric is hosting a witchy market and costume contest that kicks off at 9 p.m., while Beth Lynne Studio is putting on an art show featuring middle school and high school students. Over at Lyric Bistro and Event Center, organizers are opening a dedicated party room for children along with activities and games for younger guests throughout the night.
Food and sweets round out much of the lineup. Harbor Candy Company is running an arcade, Fairport Harbor Creamery is serving up boozy shakes alongside its mini golf course, and JulBeans Coffee and Crepes is serving non-alcoholic “potions” (mocktails) and finger foods. Beach and Barrel is holding a pumpkin decorating contest in its garden on Third Street, and The Pantry is running a Halloween decoration swap. Old Familiar Ways is contributing witch-themed merchandise and a psychic medium for anyone looking to get in the Halloween spirit. Organizers note that children younger than 10 need an adult with them at the event.
Sipping and Strolling Under the Village's DORA
Part of what makes a night like this possible downtown is Fairport Harbor's Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, which lets visitors 21 and older buy a drink from a participating business and walk it around most of downtown rather than staying put. Under the program, those beverages must come from a participating establishment, with outside alcohol barred, according to the Village of Fairport Harbor. A later council rule change requires clear plastic cups. The DORA covers High Street from Second to Fourth streets, the 200 block of Third Street, and Veterans Memorial Park, and Fairport Harbor police enforce the rules.
The DORA officially launched in the summer of 2025 with the goal of boosting foot traffic, supporting small businesses and creating a more walkable, social atmosphere downtown, as reported by cleveland.com. Village Council approved the plan after a public hearing that drew feedback from residents and business owners. Reports on the program's hours have varied: cleveland.com described the DORA running from noon to 11 p.m. with no outdoor alcohol allowed outside that window, while the News-Herald reported that Village Council later voted unanimously to extend the daily closing time by an hour, to midnight.
Local business owners Julie Victor and Jess Michalski both believe the DORA has benefited the downtown community, according to the original news5cleveland.com report. Victor said the event should be fun and wholesome, encouraging people to dress up and simply enjoy the evening. Witches Night Out gives downtown businesses a chance to collaborate and show off what each has to offer, with food, drinks, music, vendors and other activities filling out Saturday's schedule.
