800 Women Already Registered for Ladies Night

In it's fourth year, the annual Kiss of Indulgence Ladies Night Out is set to be bigger and better with more than 800 women already preregistered and 70 businesses signed up to participate.

Last year, the event had 600 preregistered women and ended up with about 1,100 participants on event night, organizer Maria Kiesow said. This year, there were 800 women preregistered on Thursday and the group expects 1,200 women to show up on Tuesday.

• Watch: Here's a video from last year's event.

The event, hosted by the Port Washington Main Street Program, is meant to give exposure to downtown businesses as well as offer women a relaxing night on the town. It runs from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Kiesow and organizer Katie Kucharski, both of The Pasta Shoppe, said the group spent about three hours on Thursday stuffing bags for participants with scarves, local business coupons (five each) and maps of all the events going on that night.

The major differences to take note of this year, they said, is registration location and time.

The event has run from 5 to 9 p.m. in the past, but this year will run from 4 to 8 p.m. to help reduce the mad rush of women at 5 as well as accomodate business hours and hopefully drive a few more sales after the event.

The second thing to note, Kiesow and Kucharski said, is that pickup has moved to the Port Washington Fire Department for preregistered women; nonregistered women can stop by the historic fire engine house and former senior center to pick up information. The first 150 nonregistered women will also be able to get a bag and scarf.

Maps available at these two registration spots detail the roughly 70 businesses involved in the event, explaining the free items and drawings that will be offered at each. Some of those include: Schooner Pub will have free shots while supplies last as well as have a drawing for a vacation; Sundance will have a drawing for a $400 gift basket; inside Dockside Deli, North Shore Homes will have chocolate-dipped pretzels and a drawing for a romantic dinner for two; and the list goes on.

Victor's Pier Street Shanty, which opened in summer 2011, is also joining the business mix, offering strawberry-champagne punch and housing several business booths in the bottom floor of the restaurant.

Victor's also has an underlying agenda next week: a portion of proceeds from sales at Victor's during the event and through Feb. 23 will be donated to Advocates of Ozaukee County, a group that works to help victims of domestic and sexual violence. The restaurant is also collecting donations of infant items, childrens clothing, snacks and personal care items to give to Advocates.

"We want to be local — this (charity) hits home for people that are actually here in Ozaukee County," Owner Victor Cerda said.

Two busses will be available for free transportation to all the participants throughout the event. Women must visit at least 20 participating businesses and get a stamp at each business in order to enter into a drawing. There will be eight total prizes, with the grand prize being a pair of pearl earrings donated from Sharbunos Jewelers and valued at $400, and then seven cash prizes of varying amounts.

The event ends with a fashion show at the end of the night, held at 7:30 p.m. in the Wilson House and featuring professional models as well as city officials sporting clothing from Wardrobe Safari, Anchor Men's Wear, Mobocracy and ZuZu Pedals.

"My personal goal is to simply inspire women to dress/think outside of their personal little boxes with respect to fashion," said Deb Neulreich, who owns Wardrobe Safari. "Seeing something done in a new way, a new color combo, whatever, is the success from my perspective."

Columbia St. Mary's is the presenting sponsor of the event; other sponsors include Port Washington State Bank, Tellos Grill & Cafe, Anchor Men's Wear, Sharbunos Jewelers, local photographer Jaynee Peterson and Main Street.

If you haven't registered, you can do so online.