Right Now Downtown

ADVENTURE IN THE CUPOLA

Move over Indiana Jones.  Adventure awaits during The Cornerstone to Cupola Tour at the Ohio Statehouse.

But you have to hurry, the tickets go on sale July 1 and they sell out quickly.  This is not some run of the mill visit through a dusty government building.  Come dressed for exploration as you navigate places in the “People’s House” rarely seen by the general public.

Visitors will discover the “lost” cornerstone and prisoner graffiti in the Crypt.  Did you know that Ohio’s Capitol was built entirely from prisoner labor and it took 22 years to complete?

Early Ohioans wanted their capitol building to serve as a symbol of the state’s democratic form of government.  They looked for inspiration in the architecture of ancient Greek cities and based the Ohio Statehouse on the design of these classic temples.

One of the highlights of the tour will include climbing more than 70 stairs through the narrow spiral staircase to the top of the Cupola.

These special behind-the-scenes tours are scheduled for Saturday, July 17 and Sunday, July 18.  There are three tour times each day:  10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.  Space is limited; tours are restricted to 20 individuals per tour start time.  For more information go to www.statehouseshop.com and click on “Statehouse Exclusive” or visit the Ohio Statehouse Museum Shop located on the ground level of the Capitol building.  The Museum Shop is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; closed Sundays and holidays.

Ticket prices for the special The Cornerstone to Cupola Tour are $10 per adult and $4 per child under the age of 16.  A $2 handling and shipping charge will be assessed to each online and phone order.

If you aren’t up for the behind-the-scenes expedition, come for a free guided tour offered Monday through Friday on the hour from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays from noon until 3 p.m.  Get inspired by the architecture, fine art, interpretive exhibits and the working offices and chambers that have been the site of Ohio government since 1861.

See you at the People’s House!

The weather people keep predicting rain on Market days and it keeps turning out to be a beautiful day.  So you should come to Pearl Market no matter what the weather people say!

While looking around at the Market this week and wondering what new thing I could try, I spotted Take Ten Body Therapy.  Over the past couple of weeks I have had a cold and have generally been a little more stressed out than usual.  So it seemed fate was screaming, “Get a massage!”  Since I’m not one to argue with fate, I gave in and got a massage.  Heavenly!  Oh, the sacrifices I make for this job!  At Take Ten you can pay by the minute instead of having to block off a half hour or full hour, so you really can come by during your lunch break.

This week I also stopped by Heidi’s Homemade.  During the summer I feel like we don’t spend as much time with our pets because we are always out and about.  So I got our cats some treats.  Heidi’s has certified organic cat, dog and horse treats.  It is nice to be able to confidently give your pets something healthy.  I only have cats and they were quite pleased with the new treats.  I can only assume that dogs would feel the same, since they are generally a bit less discerning about what they eat.  Stop by Heidi’s stand and she’ll tell you all about them.

Finally, June 29 is cooking demonstration day!  Be sure to stop by the Market and find out what it’s all about.

Pearl Market would be nothing without the fantastic vendors who bring their special tastes and talents to downtown each Tuesday and Friday.  Enjoy this introduction to a few of the people who make the Market sing.

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME…

You’re gonna have so much fun at Huntington Park this summer, you might just forget the Cracker Jacks.

Whether you catch a Party-at-the-Park with live bands on Fridays and Saturdays or you plan a family night out for Dime-a-Dog night, there is plenty of action at Huntington Park, and you don’t want to miss out.

And in case you forgot, Clippers’ Mascot LouSeal and First Mate Krash are here to remind you that Huntington Park was voted Ballpark of the Year by Baseballparks.com.  What a great place to spend a warm summer evening.  If you haven’t cheered the Clippers on to victory yet this season, you can check them out this weekend when they take on the Gwinnett Braves.

Grab Your Cracker Jacks and Go! from Downtown Columbus on Vimeo.

This week at the Market, I was prepared for the worst.  I brought umbrellas, rain jackets, arranged for my kids to stay with someone instead of bringing them with me and so on.  And it turned out to be a beautiful day – not a rain drop in sight.  The Tom Davis Trio graced us with their jazzy loveliness.

Today was a great day for produce!  The Vanscoy’s had some fantastic looking (and tasting) tomatoes; the Bergerfurd’s had zucchini and squash that cooked up very nicely; and strawberries were at their peak, for all that were selling them.  To round off our Market dinner full of produce, I stopped at Mediterra Breads.  I have seen them from afar for a couple of weeks and been just waiting to try them out.  Michael, bread-maker extraordinaire, was quite helpful since there were so many options.  I stuck with some very flavorful focaccia bread that went well with my produce, but next time I’m absolutely getting the chili bread!

Of course I need dessert from the Market, and I can’t quite seem to make it past Let Us Eat Cupcakes.  She did have a maple bacon blueberry cupcake that I wanted to try, but the dark chocolate raspberry cupcakes were in front and demanding attention, and who am I to refuse?

Today we got our first credit card sale through the Market.  Did you know that you can do that?  If you don’t have cash, you can stop by the Market booth in the middle of Pearl, swipe your credit card or Ohio Directions Card, and get tokens to spend at the different booths!  Very easy for both the vendor and the buyer.  So, stop on by during your lunch break, bring your card and buy up some gorgeous local ingredients for dinner, and maybe a trinket or two for yourself!

Spoonful: Lovin’ Vinyl

Brett Ruland is making lemonade outta lemons.  After being laid off from his graphic design job, Ruland decided to follow his passion.  As a lifelong record collector, he was struck by the reemergence of “vinyl” on the music scene and decided that now was the time to open a retail vintage record store.  Spoonful Records opened at 116 E. Long Street on July 17.

But Spoonful is more than just a record store; Ruland envisions a lifestyle store that touches on a number of his interests.  Think vintage pinball, live bands, t-shirts, plus, of course, records.  Though he originally planned to carry only vintage records, he also stocks new music that is being released on vinyl.

“I am just trying to make the store about what I like.  I figure if I like it, then maybe other people will like it too.  I want the store to be a place to hang out, a place to have a conversation.  In a time so focused on technology, this will be a place to hang out, where you don’t know who you’ll bump into.”

Ruland believes that fans of vinyl feel like the music has a warmer sound and that you are “closer to the band.”  He knows others collect records for the covers, many of which are true works of art.  He has already seen a lot of interest in his store, with fans on Facebook and others popping into his storefront asking questions.

Though he looked at locations around the city, he decided that downtown was where he wanted to be.  He noticed the reemergence of retail on Gay Street and hopes that along with B1 Bicycles, Spoonful will ramp things up on Long Street.

“I like all the activity, excitement and buzz.  There’s just something about downtown, and I want to seek that out.  Plus, there’s a good mix of students and business people who want to collect records.”

He has been in touch with Kacey Campbell Brankamp, Retail Recruiter for Capital Crossroads SID who has helped with available resources and promotion of the store opening. After learning about the City’s matching funds for storefront improvements, Ruland is looking into applying for funds, once he is sure what type of signage he would like.

Capital Crossroads welcomes Spoonful and these other businesses that have opened recently:  Si Senor Sandwiches & More, the Downtown Alternative High School Restaurant, Justin Harvey Clothing Store, Verizon Wireless and Pickles Deli.

The Downtown LIVE summer concert series returned June 10 to the Darbys patio at the corner of Third and State streets.  The Capital Crossroads-sponsored free outdoor concert series kicked off with the unparalleled sounds of Conspiracy.  Again this year, those who head over early for happy hour, which starts at 4:30 p.m., can enjoy an opening act.  Matt Munhall entertained the early birds on opening night.

Ever since Thursday night became the unofficial start of the weekend, revelers have been able to enjoy free outdoor concerts to celebrate a warm summer’s night downtown.  Those willing to date themselves admit that they used to hit Rally in the Alley.  Earlier this decade, the Rally was revitalized as Party on State.  And for the past few years the revamped Downtown LIVE has offered a great way to unwind after work with food and drink specials and the best in local and regional bands.

This year’s line-up, coordinated by CCSID staff and Class Act Entertainment, offers something for every musical taste.  Each week a new band will hit the stage, including favorites such as The Menus, Reaganomics and Red Wanting Blue.  In addition to Muhnall, Alex White and Francisco Rojas join the opening act rotation.  While the tunes change weekly, the schedule stays the same with music, food and drink specials, and fun from 4:30 to 9 p.m.  For a complete band line-up, click here.

Downtown LIVE also provides the soundtrack for the Capitol Square Kickball League.  Players can kick head over before or after their games for food, drinks, music and fun, rounding out a fun evening downtown.

This year, Capital Crossroads secured a media sponsor for the event in WCBE.  Listeners to WCBE will be updated on the weekly band line-up (along with information regarding Pearl Market) three times a day.  This is a significant sponsorship worth roughly $22,000.  In addition, a local media push has garnered increased interest in both Downtown LIVE and the Market.  News crews from Fox/ABC WSYS and 10TV covered the Market’s opening and 10TV had a crew at Downtown LIVE’s opening night with Chris Bradley giving his weather reports on site.  Media attention should result in bigger crowds at all the downtown events this summer.

HAVE YOU SEEN MY KEYS?

Honey, have you seen my keys?

Forget about ‘em.  Join the Young Professionals of Columbus (YPC) and the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) as they kick off the YPCOTA Bus Challenge 2010 in hopes to make the community just a little bit “greener.”

Ditch the keys, Ride the Bus.  Try the challenge for just one month and see where it takes you.

Reliable public transportation plays a vital role in city growth, and the YPs and COTA lead the charge for everyone in C-bus to hop on The Bus.  Whether you are a regular rider or a newbie, YPCOTA wants to see you in action so upload your photos and videos to the YPCOTA Facebook Fan Page showing your adventures.

There might just be a prize or two in it for you.  The challenge begins June 17 and rides on through July 15.  Maybe you will be the YPCOTA Bus Master or perhaps the Social Media Darling.  Who knows – you might just shoot the funniest video at the bus stop.

Here’s a little video preview of how you can catch the buzz as you ride the bus.

Ditch the keys. Ride the bus. from Downtown Columbus on Vimeo.

I love special sample days at the Market!  Love, love, love them!  Regular Market days are already festive, with all of the people, food and cheer.  But on sample day, there is definitely some magic in the air.  Sugardaddy’s Sumptuous Sweeties sponsored Strawberry Day on Tuesday and it was heavenly.  Sugardaddy’s had samples of their strawberry blondies; and if you’ve ever had Sugardaddy’s, then you know that they are legendary.  The strawberry blondies were delicious.

There were other notable samples; one in particular turned my eye.  Now, normally I’m a “safe” eater.  I don’t try many new things (aside from those purple green beans a few weeks ago).  I stick to the staples like cheese and… chocolate.  On Tuesday, however, I felt it was my duty to try strawberry salsa.  And you know what?  I could totally sit and eat a bowl of that with some chips.

Also, this week at the Market, I finally stopped by Poppin’ Time Kettle Corn.  I never knew I liked kettle corn until last year at the Market when they reeled me in with their free samples.  Theirs is one of the most enticing smells wafting lazily down the alley.  My last favorite stop this week was at Salaam’s Caravan Fragrances.  I love exotic fragrances and this is the place to get them.  There are so many options and ways to use the oils, once you narrow down your choices.  I put a few drops of oil into the water beads I bought last week and now they are an amazing looking air freshener.

Come see us next week at the Market and find some treasures for yourself!