BALTIMORE — Taylor Swift’s birthday is Dec. 13 and Sykesville will be “Ready for It,” with its second annual family-friendly downtown event themed around the music superstar and cultural icon. It will be from 4 to 8 p.m. next Friday.

Sykesville’s Main Street businesses will hold activities and promotions, turning the downtown into “a big party,” according to organizer Jenn Banks, owner of Tidal Salt on Main.

The event is loosely planned, with downtown businesses each contributing in their own way, Banks said.

Festivities include free friendship bracelet making at Tidal Salt (7602 W. Main St.) and a few other stores, a life-size Swift cutout for photos and other promotional items at A Likely Story Bookstore (7566 W. Main St.). There will be Taylor-themed cocktails and mocktails at The Local Motive (7540 Main St.).

Attendees are encouraged to dress in their best Swiftie apparel. Banks said some people went all out last year.

“Hundreds of people ended up coming, making friendship bracelets, dressing up and gallivanting around the town,” she said. “It was a really good time, and people asked if we would bring it back this year.”

The idea for the event began during Swift’s Eras Tour, Banks said, which began in March 2023 and rapidly became a worldwide phenomenon.

“We were on the fence about actually giving this a try,” she said, “but we figured, why not bring maybe a different crowd downtown? Why not get people to bring their kids downtown, to see that it is a family friendly area, not just a place to come and have drinks? So we gave it a shot last year and it was a huge success.”

Dec. 13, 2023, was among the most-profitable nights in December for several downtown Sykesville businesses, Banks said, despite the event receiving minimal advertising and promotion.

This year, Swift’s birthday falls on a Friday.

Although Downtown Sykesville Connection helped to promote the event, it was organized by downtown merchants. Julie Della-Maria, executive director of the nonprofit that supports downtown Sykesville, said the event should draw a slightly different crowd than her organization’s events often do.

“It’s great to see an audience that’s a little different than the ones that sometimes are patrons at our festivals that are serving alcohol,” Della-Maria said, “and to be able to create a different type of offering.”

Swift’s birthday celebration has something to offer children, families, older adults and everyone in-between, Banks said.

“Taylor Swift transcends ages,” she said. “Her music is relatable for a lot of people, and it’s just fun. It creates a fun environment.”

Those who visit downtown Sykesville for the event, or on another occasion, can enjoy the town’s disco alley next to Unwined Candles at 7542 Main St. The alley, adorned with around 80 well-lit disco balls, should be especially fun on Swift’s birthday, Banks added.

Another photogenic downtown area is the holiday wreath at the Sykesville Town House property, 7547 Main St., next to the community garden. Della-Maria said the wreath offers great photos, with either the Town House or Main Street as a backdrop.

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