Fourth of July was months ago, but there’s no typo when we say save the date for Independents’ Day.

The fourth annual Independents’ Day lights up Cbus to celebrate entrepreneurial spirit and all things independent on Saturday, September 17 from noon to midnight at Gay Street and Pearl Alley.

Lots of us support the buy local movement, but how about showin’ some love to the Cbus music scene?

This summer you can kick off the weekend early right after work on Thursday nights and check out some of hottest local acts at Downtown Live at Columbus Commons. Click here to check out the line-up and make plans for hot tunes and cold drinks all summer long.

Local bands jam beginning at 5:30 p.m. every Thursday, June 2 – August 25. You might even want to toss an extra t-shirt and pair of shorts in your brief case before you head out the door in the morning, so you don’t waste a minute at the end of the day – the frosty beverages and friends will be waiting and ready. G Finesse & the NS and Fabulous Johnson Brothers open the concert series this Thursday.

If a little more activity is what you crave, the cool kids at Wonderland will turn it up a notch alongside the concerts with Trophy Thursdays – a grown-up version of recess.  And you can kick it up from there with Downtown Kickball; register now for the second session of the kickball league.

Or, just hang out with friends on the patio, order another cold one, a burger and fries and soak up the summer fun in the heart of downtown.

As we near the end of the summer Market, I’ve noticed some vendors having clearance sales.  One of them is Salon D’Art.  Her prices are already extremely reasonable and her jewelry is gorgeous!  Her things are more like pieces of art than jewelry.  This is definitely the place to find one-of-a-kind pieces.

My favorite vendor from last summer was definitely Sugardaddy’s, probably owing to my serious brownie addiction.  They have since moved into a store right around the corner from the Market.  Last week, in another sign of the changing seasons, Tom stood out in the Market with pumpkin brownie samples for Sugardaddy’s.  They were cooked perfectly and utterly delicious!

See you at the Market!

Tuesday we were also treated to the musical styling of The Willie Phoenix Band.  I’ve seen his name around town and finally got the chance to listen.  They are fantastic!  They play all over town and are worth the night out to go see them play somewhere.  You can also find them on iTunes.

I ended up spending more money than I had budgeted out for this week because a new vendor arrived.  Aboxa Fudge claims to be the best fudge you will ever eat, and I think they are right about that.  This Dublin-based company doesn’t use preservatives, artificial colors or sweeteners in their fudge.  Your fudge comes in this cute little box that you can bring back for a discount on your next box.  And if you try it once, there will be another box.

Come down to the Market every Tuesday and Friday!  Support your local economy!

Highlights from Independents’ Day, September 19.

Inside 43215: Independents Day Montage from Downtown Columbus on Vimeo.

Independents are supposed to be “the little guys.”  It’s the soulless conglomerates that build monolithic operations under one umbrella. 

Then again, check out the line-up on the Independents’ Day Web site.  Forget about “the little guy”, this year we’re rooting for the BIG guy, and the giant happens to be independent operators. 

How big is this year’s celebration?  In terms of duration, the event is pretty similar.  The festivities around Gay Street kick off at noon on Saturday, September 19 and continue into the wee hours of September 20. 

What they pack into that teeny time frame is downright dumbfounding.  It’s HUGE: the Downtown Resident’s Association is hosting a giant flea market; there will be live music, food from Columbus Originals restaurants, two-hundred vendors, Via Colori’s chalk artistry, live mural painting, hula hoops AND the Ohio Roller Girls. 

Adam Brouillete, who is brave enough to coordinate all these independent souls, understands the phenomena at work here.  “This city is full of a spirit in which people want to be active, contributing members of their creative community. The growth in this year’s event is merely an open invitation to those people to do what they do.” 

Whatever that is, they all want to “do what they do” right here, downtown.

Event “big guy” Adam Brouillette shares a little about what to expect this Saturday, promising rowdy, even naughty, artists and fun surprises.

Inside 43215 on Independents Day. from Downtown Columbus on Vimeo.

Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District (CCSID) - sponsored summer fun doesn’t end with the Capitol Square Kickball League.  Downtown LIVE, a free after-work summer concert series, returned again this summer to the patio at the corner of Third and State Streets on Thursday evening, for a fifth summer of live music, happy hour specials, and fun.

The traditional gift for a fifth anniversary is wood.  Downtown LIVE went another route, adding an opening act to the line-up.  Alex White, who plays acoustic style easy listening tunes hits the stage at 5 pm, providing a welcoming stage presence as the crowd files in.  He also shares information about other downtown events between songs, helping to cross-promote the Capitol Square Kickball League and Pearl Market.

Again this year, CCSID has coordinated with Class Acts Entertainment to book an excellent line-up of bands, including the ever popular Reaganomics, the regional favorite, Red Wanting Blue, and culminating with country rock favorite, Jacked Up.  Most of the bands hail from Central Ohio, but this year there are also acts from Indianapolis, Cincinnati and even New York.

Though the partner restaurants remain the same this year, both Darbys Cafe and San Francisco Oven have upped the ante with new happy hour specials, to draw even bigger crowds.  Following the dollar menu craze, Darbys is offering $1 chips and salsa and $1 sliders, while San Francisco Oven is offering a whopping $5 off a large pizza and $10 buckets of five beers.

Joey Jerome of San Francisco Oven believes that the band line-up and the improved happy hour specials have increased crowd size this year.  “Definitely, more people are coming and they are coming earlier.  They seem to like the opening act too.  And we are seeing repeat customers.

Dowtnown LIVE will continue on Thursday nights through August 27.  For a complete band line-up, visit downtowncolumbus.com.

Two restaurants serve this patio: Darbys as well as San Francisco Oven.  I am amazed the area is not full of diners seven evenings a week.  Apparently, not enough people linger downtown after work.

One of the reasons why Capital Crossroads SID sponsors Downtown LIVE is to feature this incredible space.  If you have not experienced it, you should consider having dinner and drinks during a concert by The Fabulous Johnson Brothers this Thursday evening.  For those of you who have experienced it, I am interested to know if this space is as good as I think it is.

Don’t miss this free show from the group Hard Rock Haven dubs “the best underground independent rock band in the United States of America.”

Show is this Thursday from 5 – 9 p.m. at the corner of Third & State Streets.  Happy Hour starts at 4:30 and food and drink specials are provided all evening by Darby’s Cafe and San Francisco Oven.  Admission is open and free to the public.

The spectators couldn’t help but smile while enjoying the free entertainment on this beautiful evening.

Concerts continue every Thursday throughout the summer, next week featuring local band Red Wanting Blue.  Don’t miss out, be sure to come downtown for drinks, food and fun!