‘A Very Merry Takeover’ in West Chester features concerts, food and cups of cheer

A Very Merry Takeover will return to The Square at Union Centre with two outdoor Christmas concert experiences on consecutive Thursdays early in December.

“Last year, we did our first A Very Merry Takeover on The Square, and we had a great time. So, we wanted to double up this year, and we decided to host events on two consecutive Thursdays,” said Barb Wilson, spokesperson for West Chester Twp.

The Naked Karate Girls will perform this Thursday, followed by Elf DJ on Dec. 8. Guests should plan to arrive early on opening night to see the official light up of The Square for the holidays. (If there is bad weather on Thursday, Naked Karate Girls will play on Dec. 8.)

Like The Takeover series in summertime, the family-friendly Thursday night concerts from 6 to 9 p.m. are free to attend and open to the public. During A Very Merry Takeover, Santa Claus will make two special visits to The Square at 9285 Centre Pointe Drive. Plus, the park will be decorated for the holidays.

Attendees can plan to celebrate at the first night of A Very Merry Takeover with a cup of cheer from the non-profit partner Caring Community Collaborative (C3). Volunteers from C3 will sell alcoholic beverages from Ohio Eagle Distributing of West Chester on Thurs., Dec. 1 and proceeds will support the organization’s mission. Members of Cincinnati’s own Young Professionals Choral Collective (YPCC) will also perform Christmas carols the same night during intermission of the NKG show.

A Very Merry Takeover will feature bites from the VFW Post 7696 food trailer and warm beverages like coffee and hot chocolate. Concessions will be available for purchase both nights.

“At the end of the summer, community members aren’t ready for The Takeover to be over. They want to keep going and have a good time on The Square. We felt like the holidays are about celebrating and getting together with family, so why not do that as a community, and celebrate the holiday season together on The Square,” Wilson said.

Many community members continue to make The Takeover part of their summer concert experience, May through August. On average, about 1,000 people attend the concerts, and some of the most popular bands attract more than 2,000 people. At DV8′s concert last year, there were about 2,500 attendees. Weather can also impact attendance. The Naked Karate Girls, a popular crowd favorite on the Takeover series, kicked off the 2022 summer concert season in May. This is the second year for A Very Merry Takeover.


How to go

What: A Very Merry Takeover

Where: The Square @ Union Centre, 9285 Centre Pointe Drive, West Chester Twp.

When: 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday and 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 8

Cost: Free

More info: WestChesterOH.org

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