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Ugly Christmas sweaters once signified unwanted holiday gifts from long-forgotten relatives. However, they have come to represent a playful forerunner of the pending holiday season in recent years. To ring in the 2017 holiday season, Main Street Kent and the Great Lakes Brewing Co. will host the second annual Ugly Sweater Tavern Trek beginning at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 9, in downtown Kent.

The Ugly Sweater Tavern Trek starts at the Venice Café (163 W. Erie St.), where attendees can check in from 5-8 p.m. to pick up their trek “pass” and event cup to be used for discounted Great Lakes Brewing Co. beverages throughout the evening. The 10 participating downtown locations are Venice Café, Water Street Tavern, Ray’s Place, The Loft, Zephyr Pub, Panini’s, Bricco, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dominick’s and 157 Lounge. Event tickets are available for purchase online for $10 each at . All Ugly Sweater Tavern Trek ticketholders will be entered in a drawing to win an overnight stay at a downtown Cleveland hotel, $100 in casino chips to Jack Casino and a $50 gift card to Great Lakes Brewing Co.

There also will be an Ugly Sweater Contest. Trekkers can get photos taken for free in a photo booth at the Venice Café from 5-8 p.m., and/or post pictures of their own on social media using #kenttaverntrek. Prizes will be awarded for the Best Ugly Sweater (judged by the event committee) and Most Likes and Shares on Social Media. Ugly sweater contest winners will each receive a Great Lakes Brewing Co. cooler filled with company swag. Prize winners for all contests will be announced on Monday, Dec. 11. This is an all-weather event, and tickets are non-refundable.

Event proceeds will benefit Kent Social Services, which received $1,000 from the 2016 event.

Main Street Kent is a nonprofit organization focused on the revitalization of downtown Kent. It is an affiliate of the national Main Street program and the Heritage Ohio program.