Right Now Downtown

WHAT’S ON THE MENU TONIGHT?

The Menus served up a feast of entertainment during Downtown LIVE last week on the patio at Darbys, but not before Francisco Roja whet the appetite of all the people ready to kick off the weekend early at the annual concert series.

In between appetizers and frosty beverages, players from the Capitol Square Kickball League sauntered over from the “People’s Lawn” to kick back before they kicked butt on the field.  By the way, there’s still time to get a team together for the second course of kickball (registration closes on July 23).

Check out the video below to see for yourself what Capitol Square looks like on Thursday nights during the summer, and thanks go out to The Hyatt and WCBE 90.5 for their generous support.

Untitled from Downtown Columbus on Vimeo.

LIVE FROM COLUMBUS…

It’s Thursday night!  That’s right, the Downtown LIVE summer concert series returns this week with the unparalleled sounds of Conspiracy.  Head to the Darbys Patio for happy hour starting at 4:30 p.m., enjoy opening tunes from Matt Munhall from 5 to 6 p.m., and then give a shout out to Rodney as Conspiracy takes the stage until 9 p.m.

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.  If you want to date yourself, admit that you 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 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.  You’ll also get to know a variety of opening acts, including Muhnall, Alex White and Francisco Rojas.  While the tunes change weekly, the schedule stays the same (4:30 – 9 p.m.).  So mark your calendars and plan to be a regular, this week through August 26.

Downtown LIVE also provides the soundtrack for the Capitol Square Kickball League.  Players can kick butt during their games and then head over for some sustenance, be it liquid or solid, and a trip or two around the dance floor.  (If you haven’t registered to play kickball, you’re not too late.  Registration closes July 16, for Session II).

Summer’s here and the time is right for hot tunes and cold drinks downtown.  We’ll see you at the Rally… the Party… at Downtown LIVE this and every Thursday night!

For a complete band line-up, click here.

ARE YOU STRONGER THAN A SIXTH GRADER?

It’s that time again: downtown’s kickball league is just getting fired up.  Are you going to stand on the sidelines this year, wishing you had run with the ball?

Or, are you going to get down with downtown and PLAY BALL?

Honest, you don’t even need to actually “run with the ball” by corralling a team of eight members for Capitol Square Kickball.  Our crew can help any player find teammates to join.  This sport is fun, it’s healthy and it’s addictive.  And kickball is here, NOW.

Not a jock?  No worries, this game is for everyone.  Misti Crane has been on board since the beginning with the Columbus Dispatch team, the Fishwrappers.  She’s got a great gift for explaining the nature of the league.  Crane says, “When they started up the kickball, a couple of us figured, ‘Why not?  If sixth graders can do it, so can we.’”

Crane continues, “That said, I’m sure sixth graders might clobber us on any given day, but we have a good time.  It also happens to be a fine excuse to have a couple cold ones with some friends after work.”

Speaking of sixth graders, the rules for Capitol Square Kickball are the same game rules you remember from grammar school:  there are some common-sense provisions for kicking and running, and provisions for something called by the technical term “bouncies.”

All of the rules are posted here, and it’s the job of head referee Matt Maynard to make sure everything runs fairly.  The ref’s biggest worry?  Maynard says, “We go through fifty or more balls a season, and lose at least one every game.”

The referee explains, “Whether it gets stuck in a tree, explodes on contact, or gets run over by a COTA bus (the most common type of loss) – I’m there to make sure that the fun never stops and that there is always a bright red ten-inch kickball to be played with.”

The league is filling up fast, so get on the ball and get on board!  You can find the details about registration and game dates here.

The deadline is May 20, 2010.

Capital Crossroads Summer Programming: Capitol Square Kickball League

When the weather warms up, Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District  pulls out all the stops to make downtown the place to be.  The Capitol Square Kickball League returned to the Statehouse Lawn for its sixth season this June.  Registration is open to downtown workers and residents, who put together co-ed teams which compete for bragging rights and a spot in a playoff game with a rival league in the Arena District.  Capital Crossroads coordinates the League, handles registration, secures permits and performs promotional duties.  The Athletic Club of Columbus then operates the League once play begins, coordinating schedules and providing officials.

Since its inception, the League has grown from 12 teams to 32.  Last year, play was scheduled for two nights per week to accommodate the numbers.  Unfortunately, the two-night solution resulted in damage to the “People’s Lawn.”  This year the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board asked Capital Crossroads to return to one night of play.  In order to keep up with interest, the decision was made to run two sessions – June/July and August/September, with play set for Thursday night.  This means more people can play, with less damage to the Statehouse lawn.

“From our standpoint, it’s easier to have one night of programming,” said Kacey Campbell, Promotions Coordinator for Capital Crossroads.  “The compromise has worked out great, and we’re looking forward to having a second session later this summer.”

Registration remains open for Session II until July 27; interested teams should visit downtowncolumbus.com for more information and to register.  You’ll also find the box score there, which Campbell updates weekly.  It looks like Kick ACC is the team to watch, with the Village Idiots bringing up the rear.