Iconic movie characters sprawl across downtown Columbia’s architecture ahead of the Missouri Homecoming weekend. Thursday’s Decorate the District competition saw the highest number of participating student organizations and businesses ever.
At 10 a.m. Thursday, participants reported to their assigned local businesses, rolling out tarps and setting up stations to begin painting elaborate murals based on this year’s movie theme.
It’s a commonplace occurrence for many of the downtown businesses that have been painted annually for years, as the tradition extends Homecoming spirit and celebrations beyond campus.
Heidelberg owner Richard Walls said Homecoming is one of the restaurant’s busiest weekends. Walls plans to offer up the restaurant’s windows for painting for as long as the event continues.
“It’s Homecoming at Mizzou. We have to be a part of that,” Walls said.
Despite being open only two months, Delysium Artisan Bakery decided to be part of this year’s decoration.
“It just shows that you’re a part of the community,” manager Riley Sellars said.
Frozen yogurt shop Yogoluv has participated since opening its doors in 2009. Owner Ben Huang said the decorations further engage his usual customers, MU students in sororities. This year, members of Kappa Delta, Beta Sigma Psi, Sigma Chi and Sigma Alpha Epsilon painted images from “Wreck-It Ralph” on the shop’s windows.
Joy Bunch is the social media and assistant manager of Bubblecup Tea Zone — and an artist, who loves to see the designs students come up with. It also helps business, she said.
The event “definitely does help people, at least, stop and look at our store,” Bunch said.
This year’s Decorate the District designs will be up for viewing through Sunday afternoon.
