Events downtown

Dec 08

Merry Madness Kick-Off Event 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
 

Get ready for an unforgettable December full of shopping & merriment with your friends. Merry Madness will make its post-pandemic debut with a Kickoff Party on Thursday, December 8th! Please Note: The Merry Madness Kickoff Party is 21+ & rain, shine, or snow. COVID-19 vaccines & boosters strongly recommended.

Merry Madness is presented by Hood Eggnog.

 

What is Merry Madness?

The simple answer: A one-of-a-kind holiday shopping extravaganza across downtown Portland, Maine!

Do you love Portland? Are you a shopaholic? Do you appreciate good discounts at your favorite downtown storefronts? Then this near-month-long event is for you!

The 2022 festivities launch with the Merry Madness Kickoff Party on Thursday, December 8th at the beautiful & historic U.S. Custom House. More than 40 participating downtown retailers stay open late — until 10 p.m. !! — to offer Merry Madness shoppers exclusive specials (& maybe even some sips or nibbles) as they shop their way around downtown.

But wait! The shopping doesn’t end there. . .

Thanks to the now virtual Merry Madness Passport (made available through the Scavify), exclusive offers at 70+ participating downtown retailers (40+ open until 10 p.m. December 8th ONLY) will be active December 8th – December 31st.

How does the Merry Madness Kickoff Party work?

This is a ticket ONLY event. You must pre-register to attend. Please Note: The Merry Madness Kickoff Party is 21+ & rain, shine, or snow. COVID-19 vaccines & boosters strongly recommended.

When you arrive at the U.S. Custom House, you will be ushered in to receive your fabulous Merry Madness Kickoff Party perks, including:

  • Commemorative Merry Madness drinking glass — PLUS one complimentary pour of wine, beer, or spiked seltzer!
  • Commemorative Merry Madness reusable shopping bag
  • Specially-curated Merry Madness “Snacks To Go” bag
  • Map of citywide late-night shopping locations (40+ businesses open until 10 p.m.!)
  • & more!

After sipping your beverage & scouting out your shopping route, you’ll hit the downtown with discounts at more than 70 downtown retailers made available through the now virtual Merry Madness Passport (via the Scavify app) right on your mobile device.

Please Note: Merry Madness Passport deals will become available on the Scavify app beginning December 8th at 4 p.m., however, Portland Downtown recommends pre-downloading the app here.

What is the VIRTUAL Merry Madness Passport?

A collection of exclusive offers at 70+ participating downtown retailers active from December 8, 2022 – December 31, 2022. The virtual Merry Madness Passport is available to ALL shoppers and is NOT exclusive to Merry Madness Kickoff Party attendees.

NEW THIS YEAR: The Merry Madness Passport has gone digital.

It’s now easier than ever to access exclusive Merry Madness discounts at your favorite downtown storefronts. Simply download the Scavify app here & wait for the virtual Merry Madness Passport to go live December 8th at 4 p.m.

Once live, you will gain access to exclusive offers at 70+ participating downtown retailers, all active December 8th – December 31st.

NOTE: There is NO COST to download the Scavify app OR to access the virtual Merry Madness Passport. Shoppers are not required to attend the December 8th Merry Madness Kickoff Party to gain access to these offers. Simply download the app & wait until December 8th.

How do I use the VIRTUAL Merry Madness Passport?

The virtual Merry Madness Passport is made available in the Scavify app, which can be pre-downloaded here (available for iOS, Android, & on web browsers).

The list of offers will become available within the Scavify app at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022.

At that time, shoppers can view the various offers at participating retailers & begin redeeming them. To redeem an in-person offer, Merry Madness shoppers will:

  1. Show participating retailers their Merry Madness Passport
  2. Score the exclusive Merry Madness offer
  3. Use the Scavify app to scan QR codes (available at participating retailers)
  4. Keep Shopping!

Questions? Email Portland Downtown Marketing & Events Coordinator McKenzie Delisle: mckenzie@portlandmaine.com

Late-Night Shopping Locations – Open Until 10 p.m. on December 8th ONLY!

Arcana – BARE waxing boutique – CHART Metalworks – Cool As A Moose – Crystal Joys – Dean’s Sweets – Dila’s Kitchen – Ember – Fatface – Fire On Fore – Flowers & Candy – Glass Lounge (Inside) Hyatt Place – Gritty McDuff’s Brew Pub – Gus & Ruby Letterpress – Higher Grounds of Maine – Jen Burrall Designs – LeRoux Kitchen – Lisa-Marie’s Made in Maine – Local Color – Maine Art Collective – Mensroom Salon and Lounge – Needfire Candle Co – Nomads – Old Port Card Works – Old Port Nutrition – Rytualist – Salt Cellar – Sea Bags – Siempre mas – SKORDO – Something’s Fishy – The Black Dog General Store – The Blue Lobster – The Fish and Bone Portland – The Frying Dutchman – The Maker’s Galley – The Matchmaker Of Maine – The North Point – The Top of The East – Toko – Vena’s Fizz House – Venus & Mars Dispensary – Waterlily – Yardie Ting

A note on transportation: Portland Downtown strongly encourages the use of multi-modal transportation when visiting our neighborhood. Here’s some of the many local resources: