Midnight, but less mad: Annapolis adapts to holiday shopping during the coronavirus pandemic

Ventilation has long been a part of the business model at Kilwin’s on Main Street.

Each holiday season as stores stay open late for the city’s annual Midnight Madness shopping event, the smell of waffle cones, caramels and chocolates drifting through open doors draws customers in for a treat.

Midnight Madness is still on this year, with shops in the city slated to stay open to midnight the first and second Thursdays of December and until 11 p.m. on the third Thursday. Much of it will be changed, but the smell of tasty treats from Kilwin’s will be a constant. Store Manager Jonathan Barone said they have set up lines in and out of the store, and are emphasizing curbside pickup. As restaurants downtown have taken a hit, so has the after-dinner ice cream cone market, which relied heavily on in-person orders.

“The time between the decision to get ice cream and having ice cream in hand is usually just a few minutes,” Barone said.

So they have focused on things that can be shipped instead, such as gift packages. Barone said they try to evoke a feeling of joy and wonder in their candy shop, and he is happy they will be able to do that this season while still taking precautions to make sure employees are safe.

Shopping locally is critical if the community wants the 90 retailers and 80 restaurants in Annapolis to survive COVID-19, Downtown Annapolis Partnership Executive Director Erik Evans said. Many stores are offering curbside pick-up, like Kilwin’s, as well as private shopping hours by appointment and other accommodations.

“Don’t let any obstacle stop you from shopping locally,” Evans said. “All the options are out there for you this year.”

While most years roads are closed for Midnight Madness, this year they will remain open. They are discouraging the event’s typical “party” atmosphere, Evans said. There won’t be food and wine in stores, or live music in the street. And while the event shopping hours usually start at 6 p.m., this year it will start at 4 p.m., giving people more time to shop so stores don’t get crowded.

Capacity in stores is limited to 50%, and capacity in restaurants will be limited to 25%.

Here, a pop-up shop on Main Street, will be selling items from more than 80 local merchants this year, owner Ellen Lunay said. She said most businesses she knows are expanding their online presence in response to COVID-19. They have a web store updated daily where people can browse and feel like they’re in the shop, she said.

Her store will have hand sanitizer and an air filter, she said, and private shopping appointments are available.

“If everybody does it safely it can still be an important night downtown,” she said.

The partnership has a list of links to business websites on its page, as well as places to buy restaurant gift cards.

While the crowds will be down, for safety, the lights will be up. Evans said this year’s light display downtown will be the biggest ever, with a “holiday canopy” over West Street, “snowflake alley” over Main Street. They want to lift peoples’ spirits in this tough year, he said, and they hope people will enjoy the lights whether walking or driving downtown.

“It’s really fun to watch how downtown lights up,” Evans said.

Other holiday events:

The Christmas Tree at Market Space will celebrate the 175th anniversary of the Naval Academy. The tree will be adorned with rope, hats (or covers), ornaments made from recycled alumni magazines and touches of blue and gold.

The annual Grand Illumination event in downtown Annapolis has been canceled, as has the Glen Burnie Improvement Association’s annual tree lighting. Both will still be lit and decorated, but no gathering is planned to mark the occasion.

And in Crofton, Boy Scout Troop 758 are lighting up the whole town, by selling luminary sets. Each set would make 10 luminaries and costs $12, with a discount the more one buys. The plan is for people to then put the luminaries out on Dec. 13, creating a beautiful display of lights one home at a time.

The drive-thru light display at Sandy Point State Park benefitting the SPCA of Anne Arundel County, “Lights on the Bay,” is still on. More than 70 displays illuminate the two-mile drive, including scenes from Annapolis like midshipmen throwing hats in the air, the events website said.