PHOTOS: Midnight Madness 2012

Frankfort retailers kept their doors open late into the night and offered special sales for the yearly shopping event.

Frankfort residents crowded the streets of historic downtown on Friday night for the 17th annual Midnight Madness. The event, sponsored by the Frankfort Chamber of Commerce, encourages community members to shop local during the holiday season. Area stores remained open from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. and offered progressive discounts throughout the evening, in addition to snacks, beverages and other special sales and bonuses. Get news alerts and Facebook updates from these Lincoln-Way Patch sites:

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LOCAL VOICES: Midnight Madness to Hit Downtown Frankfort Dec. 14

Got plans? We do! This Friday is Midnight Madness in Frankfort (sponsored by the Frankfort Chamber of Commerce), and for the historic district merchants, this is a huge night!

Midnight Madness to Bring Holiday Discounts to Frankfort

Participating Frankfort stores will give residents the gift of reduced prices this holiday season.

This Friday, Frankfort residents will have the opportunity to enjoy a night on the town … in their pajamas. Dec. 14 is the 17th annual Midnight Madness. Every year, Frankfort residents are encouraged to spend one evening during the holiday season shopping at local businesses in their pajamas until the wee hours of the morning. The event is sponsored by the Frankfort Chamber of Commerce. “It brings people to downtown Frankfort,” said Cathie Shaffer, owner of Bijoux Bridal. Shaffer’s shop will feature vintage and repurposed gifts on Friday night, in addition to bridal items. Many local businesses have special Midnight Madness deals. Several stores are hosting progressive sales throughout the evening, where the discounts get deeper as the …

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PHOTOS: What Deals Did You Find at Midnight Madness?

Shoppers squeezed into stores in downtown Frankfort for the village's holiday shopping event, looking for discounts and the perfect gift.

Local shops and restaurants probably wish every Friday was Midnight Madness, judging from the crowds of shoppers that descended on downtown Frankfort. The Trolley Barn, shops like Cottage Creations, Briosa Boutique and Chew On This Dog Barkery, and even restaurants like Smokey Barque and Francesca's Fortunato were packed with customers looking for deals while trying to finish up their holiday shopping. Frankfort Patch was out at Midnight Madness on Friday. Check out the photos from the events in our media gallery, which also includes photos taken by Kirsten Larsen, the owner of Etc. Stores Inc. Make sure you also read Larsen's blog on Patch. WHAT DEALS DID YOU FIND DURING MIDNIGHT MADNESS? Post photos here of what you bought during the …

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Editor's Notebook

Midnight Madness Survival Guide: What You Need to Know About Tonight

Will you be out searching for deals during Friday night's holiday shopping event?

Forget Black Friday and Small Business Saturday. The biggest holiday shopping day--er, night--for Frankfort is Midnight Madness.  OK, I'm speaking metaphorically here. But many villages businesses, especially those downtown, look at this annual shopping event as a major revenue stream, and many have high hopes for Friday's affair. In fact, the local retailers I've spoken to this past week have said they hope Midnight Madness continues the trend of robust holiday sales that started with a strong Christkindl weekend. But what do Midnight Madness shoppers need to know to make the most of the night? I've put together all the information you should have before heading out this evening. READ: Patch's Guide to the Holiday Season in Frankfort When…

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Local Business Buzz

UPDATE: Midnight Madness: Where to Go for the Deals

Frankfort and other area businesses will be open 6 p.m. to midnight for holiday shoppers. Find out what kind of discounts some of them will be offering.

Local Business Buzz is a roundup of what's going on in Frankfort's business community. This includes store openings and closings, listings of special events and a look at upcoming sales and deals. Midnight Madness, Frankfort's annual holiday shopping event, is set to run from 6 p.m. to midnight Friday, Dec. 16, and area businesses are already planning their specials and deals for the day. Here's a preliminary list from the Frankfort Chamber of Commerce that will be updated up until the event. Shops that don't have discounts or sales listed are still determining them. READ: Our Frankfort Shop Guide to Gifts $25 and Less WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL SHOP? Write a review for it on our Patch Places business directory.

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Local Business Buzz

Papa John's Pizza Opens Thursday With Free Slices

Plus: Comic book creators come to Amazing Fantasy, and local businesses prepare for Midnight Madness holiday shopping event.

Local Business Buzz is a roundup of what's going on in Frankfort's business community. This includes store openings and closings, listings of special events and a look at upcoming sales and deals. READ: Board Approves New Papa John's Location READ: Smokey Barque Opens Downtown WRITE A REVIEW of Amazing Fantasy Books and Comics or other Frankfort businesses in our Patch Places directory.

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Sales Ring in Midnight for Local Shops

Shoppers flock to Frankfort for deals and discounts during Midnight Madness on Friday.

The temperature was in the single digits Friday night, but Frankfort shoppers still swarmed village stores, looking for deals and delights during the Chamber of Commerce's Midnight Madness. "It was awesome!" said Yarns to Dye For & More owner Jean Otrembiak, who was living through her first Midnight Madness. "Our sales were comparable to the Fest. At some point here it was wall to wall people. You could hardly move." Out at Action Sports on Laraway Road early in the evening, shoppers steadily filled the store, hoping to take advantage of big discounts on Lincoln-Way apparel. "It'll be busy all night, even at midnight," said Jenna Anderson, who has worked the event for 10 years. "Last year, the line was all the way around the inside of the …

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