Downtown Berkley connects local businesses and artists for inaugural BOO!KLEY Nights

Downtown Berkley is getting in on the Halloween fun this month with a host of events and placemaking initiatives geared to draw people to its city streets. The inaugural BOO!KLEY Nights series of events takes place all month long.

The Berkley Downtown Development Authority has been connecting artists with local businesses along the 12 Mile, Coolidge, and Robina corridors, filling up storefront windows with Halloween-themed art. Halloween light displays along city streets add to the holiday atmosphere.

A BOO!KLEY Nights storefront at The Lunch Cafe in downtown Berkley. (Photo: Facebook)“We are excited to bring a mix of seasonal fun and retail offerings this fall to Downtown Berkley,” says Michael McGuinness, director of the Downtown Berkley DDA. “We love the holidays and especially love celebrating them with residents and visitors from all over metro Detroit, who love Downtown Berkley for its charming, retro feel and its diverse, independently-owned shops and dining options that offer something for everyone.”

Kicking off the series of events was the BOO!KLEY Nights restaurant weekend and night market, which took place the first weekend of October.

Still on the docket is Ladies Night Out. Scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 14, from 5 to 9 p.m., participating downtown businesses will stay open late for a ladies night stroll, with many businesses offering special “goodies” and discounts along the way.

Two events, Trick-Or-Treat Stroll and Monster Mash, are scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 30, with the former offering downtown trick-or-treating opportunities for families and the latter being a family-friendly street festival with DJs, arts and crafts, and more.

Other events include double-feature “monster movie nights” each Thursday at Berkley First and a downtown scavenger hunt, accessible via smartphone all month long.

“We anticipate our first ever BOO!KLEY Nights to be a howling, grown up good time and plenty of festive fun for the kids, too,” McGuinness says.

Visit Downtown Berkley online for a full rundown of events for the inaugural BOO!KLEY Nights.

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MJ Galbraith is a writer and musician living in Detroit. Follow him on Twitter @mikegalbraith.