A huge Saturday is ahead for Uptown April 20. Public events new and old, artsy and sudsy will fill the day morning until night.

Get out early and stay all day to celebrate one of our favorite places, Uptown Westerville!

A quick rundown of events with links to more information:

Lions Pancake Breakfast

The Westerville Lions will host their 36th Annual Pancake Breakfast at a new location, Church of the Messiah United Methodist, 51 N. State St.

Doors open at 7:30 a.m. and breakfast runs through 11. Tickets for the all the pancakes you can eat are $8 for adults and $4 for children. All proceeds go to the club’s philanthropic programs. More info on the club’s Facebook page.

Westerville History Days

Uptown Westerville Inc. will stage a new event – Westerville History Days – in conjunction with the Westerville Art Hop. The event begins at 11 a.m. and runs through 2 p.m. the new North High Brewery, 240 S. State St., on the former Westerville Armory property.

Free walking tours of Uptown’s historical plaques will be led by members of the Westerville Historical Society at 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m.

Maps of the historical plaques – one of which resides on the old Armory building – also will be available for those who want to take self-guided tours.

High Bank Distillery, which is developing a new Uptown location in the old Westerville Post Office building at 28 S. State St., will be on-site with samples of their award-winning Whiskey Wars bourbon and drink recipes. Local journalist and author Joe Meyer will be there with the UWI book, Westerville: The War Machine of Prohibition. The book commemorates Westerville’s role in the 18th Amendment, and was released in 2020, upon the 100th anniversary of Prohibition going to effect.

Westerville Art Hop 2024

All of Uptown will transform into an art gallery from 1-5 p.m. April 20 for the Westerville Art Hop. The district’s two art galleries – David Myers Art Studios & Gallery, 7 W. Main St., and the Daylight Artist Collective Studios & Gallery, 9 E. College Ave. – will be open to the public and displaying juried art shows (The Joye of Spring at Myers, Awakenings at Daylight).

And 23 artists will set up at locations across Uptown, arranged by the Arts Council of Westerville, to both create and sell their art. See full list of the locations and artists below, and be sure to check our the Meet the Artists graphic and map at the Arts Council website.

Kiddie Art Hop at City Hall

The Kiddie Art Hop also will take place from 1-5 p.m. in the Westerville City Hall Courtyard, 21 S. State St.

Art Activities for children and live music will be featured.

Nationwide Children’s Hospital is the presenting sponsor of History Day and the 2024 Westerville Art Hop.

Uptown Epic Beer Walk

Westerville native Kurt Sima, owner of the travel tour business Epic Beer Trips, will launch this craft brew tour in his hometown with the first Uptown Epic Beer Walk, from 2-4 p.m. April 20, also beginning at North High Brewing. Sima is a 1977 graduate of Westerville South High School.

Where history meets beer in Uptown Westerville, the Uptown Epic Beer Walk will share stories of Westerville’s past as the “Dry Capital of the World” and drink some great beers at North High Brewing and Fattey Beer Co. (the tour may change over the season).

The Walks will continue from 2-4 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 26. Check ticket availability here.

Saturday Night Live at Java Central

If you’ve hung out all day in beautiful Uptown Westerville, consider catching the Saturday Night Live acoustic music show at Java Central, from 7-9:30 p.m.

The April 20 act is renowned Long Tall Deb and Colin John, featuring blues vocalist and songwriter Long Tall Deb and Hawaiian Big Island slack key guitarist/singer Colin John.

Java Central promises, “Winner of the Chicago Blues Challenge, Deb is the real deal with a powerful blues voice and outstanding songwriting, and Colin is one of the best guitarist-lap steel-“Baby Sitar” players anywhere! They have traveled the world, learning, absorbing and now we get to enjoy the results.”

Full location/artist lineup for the 2024 Art Hop

A Gal Named Cinda Lou, 20 N. State St. – Joanna Hammer

A Twist On Olives, 44 N. State St. – Lisa Edwards

Amish Originals Furniture Company, 38 N. State St. – Khadija Adil

Asterisk Supper Club, 14 N. State St. – Bryce Collins

Birdie Books, 74-C N. State St. – Hannah Maltry

Blend Candle Company, 16 E. Main St. – Lee Ann Lander

Blue Turtle at Uptown on Main, 64 E. Main St. – Elyse McCabe
Daylight Artists Collective, 9 E. College Ave. – 30-artist Awakenings show

Deja Vu Resale Boutique, 11 N. State St. – Joy Selby Cain

Edwin Loy Home, 46 N. State St. – Judy Ruehrmund

Fattey Beer, 79 S. State St. – Richard McKinley III

Fusian, 79 S. State St. – Kathryn Smithson

Good Vibes Winery, 2 S. State St. – Mary Van Meter

Java Central Coffee Roasters, 20-B S. State St. – Don Wilkiins

Kurt McCurdy-Howard Hanna HER, 42 N. State St. – Richard Leavy

Megan Lee Designs, 20-22 E. College Ave. – Kathy Rausch

Meza Wine Shop, 48 N. State St. – Evan Williams

My Cousin’s Cottage, 16 E. College Ave. – Jessica Schiering

David Myers Art Studio & Gallery, 7 W. Main St., Kathleen Norris live, and 30+ artists’ The Joye of Spring show

North High Brewing, 240 S. State St. – Lisa O’Connell

Pure Roots Boutiques, 18 N. State St. – Noelle Shearer

Stone & Sparrow Apparel, 34 N. State St. – Lindsay Ciulla

Westerville Antiques, 2 N. State St. – Sandra Brandt

Whit’s Frozen Custard, 46 N. State St. – Hilary Stone

PHOTO (ABOVE) CAPTION: Kurt Sima (left) and North High Brewery-Westerville staff are ready to launch the first Epic Uptown Beer Walk, a walking beer and history tour beginning at North High, 250 S. State St., at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 20.