On Saturday, Feb. 28, some of the best people in town may find themselves behind bars, but it's all for a good cause. The Jail-n-Bail Fundraiser will detain friends, colleagues, local celebrities and more, all tasked with raising bail money to be released from the dungeons beneath the Columbia Market House, 15 S. Third St., Columbia. Proceeds from the event will be used for the restoration of the dungeon space.

"Those arrested will be placed in one of the six jail cells for an hour," explained Rick Fisher, dungeon project manager. "At that time, they will be on their cellphones, calling family and friends to raise bail to get out." People will serve their time from either 11 a.m. to noon or 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. and must either raise the minimum of $100 to be released or reach the one-hour time commitment, Fisher said.

He encourages people to register for the event, figuratively signing an arrest warrant to have someone locked up.

As Fisher explained, the person's "crime" should focus on the fun of the event.

"It has to be something humorous such as the defendant didn't turn out the lights at home," he said. Volunteer officers will "arrest" the criminals.

Fisher said inspiration for the event came from memories of similar experiences in the past.

"I was looking for a way to raise funds for the restoration of the dungeons and remembered they used to hold these (types of events) in Lancaster in the '80s," he said.

People are invited to participate in a variety of ways. They can nominate someone to be arrested, volunteer to be a jailbird, donate toward someone's bail or just come out and enjoy the spectacle. Food and drinks will be available for purchase at the stands located throughout the market house.

Although the event promises to be full of levity, the location has a somber history.

"The dungeons were a horrible place to be imprisoned," Fisher shared, adding that people sometimes resorted to drastic measures to get out.

He noted that famous people spent time in the jail, which was known to be infested with rats and disease.

"It was said it was worse than the Black Hole of Calcutta," he remarked, referring to the notoriously awful prison. "The dungeons opened up in 1836 when the market house was built. They were ordered shut in 1896 because of disease and health concerns, but it wasn't until 1928 when they ended their use."

Fisher is fascinated by the history of the dungeons, and he wants to restore the site to encourage people to explore part of Columbia's past. All proceeds from the Jail-n-Bail event will be used to support the dungeon restoration project.

"The jail cells have been cleaned, and we will be replacing the floors of each cell that were torn out in 1967," Fisher said. "New lighting will also be installed."

He encourages people to sign up to have their friends and family arrested, noting that participants may also pay a fee in advance to be exempt from being locked up. If the event is successful, Fisher hopes to hold similar fundraisers every other month. For the first one, he hopes people will embrace the history of the site and the humor of the event.

"Experience what it's like to be in an actual jail cell that is almost 200 years old," he said. "Let's fill the cells, raise the funds and celebrate Columbia's playful side ... because where else can you pay to put your boss, neighbor or favorite local celebrity behind bars - and feel great about it?"

There is a fee to issue the arrest warrant. Arrest forms may be filled out and payment submitted at the Columbia Market House from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21.

For more information on the dungeon restoration project, search for "Dungeon Restoration Project - Columbia, Pennsylvania" on Facebook.

For more information on the Jail-n-Bail Fundraiser, contact Fisher at Parapa109@gmail.com or 717-341-7574.