Free Coloring Contest Runs Through December 28

Winchester, VA, 12/23/14…The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley (MSV) and First Night Winchester invite artists of all ages to participate in the 2015 First Night Winchester Coloring Contest. Sponsored by the MSV, the free contest runs through December 28.

Drawn by Shenandoah Valley artist John Burns, this year’s picture celebrates Winchester landmarks as well as First Night Winchester’s inaugural First Find scavenger hunt. The coloring sheet features George Washington’s Office Museum, Handley Regional Library, and New Year’s Eve fun in Old Town Winchester.

Every contest participant will receive one complimentary admission ticket to visit the MSV, and one lucky participant from each age group—child (7 and under), youth (8–12), teen (13–17), and adult (18+)—will win a one-year family Membership to the MSV ($75 value), a family four-pack of buttons to First Night Winchester ($40 value), a package of McDonald’s ® gift cards ($25 value), and two tickets for a free movie at the Alamo, including free popcorn at the theater. Contest winners will be contacted on December 29. The four winning entries will be on display in First Night Headquarters on December 31.

Those interested in participating in the coloring contest may pick up free coloring sheets at the Museum’s Visitor Information Desk, the Winchester-Frederick County Visitor Center on Pleasant Valley Road, participating merchants in Old Town Winchester, and at Winchester-area McDonald’s ®. Coloring sheets can also be downloaded from the MSV website and the First Night website. To be eligible to win a prize in the contest, participants must bring (or mail) completed coloring sheets to the Visitor Information Desk in the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley by 4 p.m. on Sunday, December 28, 2014.

According to MSV Community Programs Coordinator Autumn Gray, this is the fourth year that the MSV has sponsored the coloring contest and served as a daytime entertainment venue for the First Night Winchester celebration.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday December 31 admission to the MSV galleries will be free to all thanks to sponsor Howard Shockey & Sons, Inc. In addition, the MSV will present free family-oriented entertainment on New Year’s Eve. Ronald McDonald will be at the MSV from 10 a.m. to noon and children’s musician Peter McCory will perform at 1 p.m.  Free face painting and balloon creations will be offered from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., and families are invited to stop by the Museum’s BB&T Learning Center to create festive party hats to ring in the New Year.

The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley is located at 901 Amherst Street in Winchester, Virginia. The MSV is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Museum admission is not required to obtain the coloring sheet or visit the Museum Store where First Night buttons will be available for purchase through 4 p.m. on December 31. The MSV will be closed on December 24 and 25, and January 1. Additional information is available at www.theMSV.org or by calling the Museum at 540-662-1473, ext. 235. – END –

About First Night Winchester:

Founded in 1986, First Night Winchester is an alcohol-free New Year’s celebration of the arts in Old Town Winchester that features dozens of entertainers. The mission of First Night Winchester, Inc. is to bring friends and families together to unite our community in all its diversity through the visual and performing arts. More information about First Night Winchester is available online at www.firstnightwinchester.com.