Shops, restaurants and studios in downtown Westminster will stay open until 11 p.m. or later on Friday, Sept. 25, for Westminster After Dark, the city's late-night shopping event held on the Friday of Fallfest.
According to the City of Westminster's event listing, participating businesses will be marked with red carpets. New this year, each one will also have up-lighting outside. Anyone who makes a purchase at a participating business gets an event keychain, and merchants will hand out charms throughout the night that can be added to it.
Live music at Westminster After Dark
The music was booked by Fine Tuned Productions and is sponsored by the City of Westminster, according to the city's listing:
Kerplung at City Park Gaming & Brew Room, 133 E. Main St., 6–8 p.m.
Karaoke at the Sentinel parking lot, West Main and Liberty streets, 7–10 p.m.
Paul Patrol (jazz) at Covalent Spirits, 118 E. Main St., 7–10 p.m.
Sadia (solo artist) at Collision Course, 61 E. Main St., 7–10 p.m.
Jake Matthews Rivers (cello) at Serenity + Sol, 66 E. Main St., 7–10 p.m.
Shamboogi (funk) at Westminster New & Used Furniture, 31 W. Main St., 8–10 p.m.
Who's taking part in Westminster After Dark
Retail: Off Track Art, Bargain Hunters Antiques & Collectibles, Country View Tuxedo & Gift Shop, Gotham Comics, Cultivated, Bonjongles, Run Moore, Looped In Fiber Arts, Serenity + Sol and Westminster New & Used Furniture
Health and community: MAGIC (the Mid-Atlantic Gigabit Innovation Collaboratory), Sterling Quality Water and Village West Pilates
Restaurants and drinks: JeannieBird Baking Company, Collision Course, Covalent Spirits, City Park Gaming & Brew Room, Serra on Main and Liquid Library
From Midnight Madness to After Dark
Late-night shopping on the Friday of Fallfest goes back years in Westminster. It used to be called Midnight Madness. Last year, under the Westminster After Dark name, retailers stayed open until 11 p.m., shops handed out glow sticks, and there was outdoor live music from 8 to 11 p.m., according to the city's 2025 event listing.
A full weekend of Fallfest
Fallfest itself started as a downtown shopping promotion. Westminster Fallfest began in 1978 to promote awareness of the renewal of the downtown shopping district, local write and now city council member Kevin Dayhoff wrote in a 2022 piece. That piece included a 1983 photo from Dayhoff's collection showing Fallfest along several blocks of Main Street. The festival later moved to Longwell Avenue and City Park.
The 47th annual Westminster Fallfest opens Thursday evening with the Fallfest mile run down Main Street at 6:55 p.m., followed by the parade at 7 p.m., according to Carroll County Tourism. The festival then runs through Sunday at City Park, 11 Longwell Ave., with carnival rides, games, food and live music each night. More than 80 craft, commercial and nonprofit vendors will set up Saturday and Sunday.
Proceeds from the festival, presented this year by McDaniel College, go to local nonprofits.
Main stage entertainment at Fallfest, per westminsterfallfest.com:
Thursday: Making Waves, 7–10 p.m.
Friday: Amish Outlaws, 8–10 p.m.
Saturday: Weird Science, 7–10 p.m.
Sunday: Local talent demonstration stage, noon–6 p.m.