Events celebrate fall in downtown Rochester

ROCHESTER — This fall, the community is invited to head to downtown Rochester to enjoy a variety of different artforms.

Downtown Rochester’s fourth annual Magical Mural Tour welcomes the art of 19 muralists, on display throughout the downtown area through Oct. 16.

“Over the last two years or so we have really tried to lean in on doing more art initiatives for downtown,” said Kristi Trevarrow, the executive director of the Rochester Downtown Development Authority.

The Magical Mural Tour asks artists, professional or hobbyists, of all ages to submit designs, and a DDA design committee has selected 19 murals to display around town this year.

“All the artists donate their time. We provide the mural boards, which is a piece of plywood 4 foot by 8 foot, and they create their design,” Trevarrow said. “Every year they are more and more amazing.”

All murals are entered into People’s Choice and Judges’ Choice contests, with the winning mural artists each receiving a $250 cash prize.

“We have young artists, we have experienced artists and we have artists where this is their first time trying something like this, which adds to the magic of the mural tour,” added Trevarrow.

Food is another artform, and as such, downtown Rochester invites the community to enjoy a Taste of Fall.

“Art comes in all different forms, so we really wanted to show off the work of our talented restaurants, chefs and restaurateurs — in terms of their creations, abilities and fun fall flavors,” said Taylor Knuth, the marketing coordinator for the Rochester DDA.

Through Oct. 16, the public can embark on a culinary journey through autumn flavors, featuring a lineup of over 20 restaurants, each showcasing their unique fall-inspired dishes for downtown Rochester’s Taste of Fall event.

There are many fall-inspired menu items to choose from, including an apple pie doughnut from Bakehouse 46, a pan-roasted pork chop from The Meeting House, a “Fall From the Tree” coffee drink from Dessert Oasis Coffee Roasters, homemade chili from Lettuce, and a deconstructed caramel apple cake from The Home Bakery, to name a few.

“We’ve seen a lot of traffic come through for these different promotions, which is exciting,” Knuth said.

Adding an extra layer of fun to the Taste of Fall is “Foodie Fridays.” On each Friday of the promotion, diners have the chance to win a $50 downtown Rochester gift certificate by sending the keyword “FOODIEFRIDAY” to (866) 603-4005 and uploading a picture of their receipt from any participating Taste of Fall restaurant.

A complete list of participating businesses and fall menu offerings can be found in the Taste of Fall brochure available at the Downtown Collaboration Studio, 431 S. Main St., or online at downtownrochestermi.com. For more information, call (248) 656-0060.