The days are getting chilly, but you still have time to stock up on fruits and veggies and other great stuff, right downtown. Come on down to Pearl Market and see plenty in full bloom and harvest ready.
The 2011 season wraps up at the end of the month, so plan now to shop every Tuesday and Friday while farmers and merchants are still in Pearl and Lynn Alleys. If you tell us what you’ve enjoyed the most this year or what you would like to see in Pearl Market next season, you’ll be entered to win 30.00 in Pearl Market tokens (they spend just like cash!).
Having a hard time narrowing it down? Take a peek here to see some of your choices. And enter a comment below by Friday, October 7 for a chance to win.
This week’s vendor spotlight shines on Veggielicious, a vegetarian food cart in Columbus, Ohio. They offer wraps, quesadillas and bowls filled with awesome ingredients, prepared with lots of fresh vegetables, eggs, cheese, black beans and vegetarian sausage. Entrepreneur Becky Karppala wanted to find a way to sell vegetarian-friendly meals that non-vegetarians would also enjoy. She came up with the idea for her Veggielicious food cart business, and Pearl Market offerd a perfect location to test the downtown market.
To learn more, check out our vendor spotlight video.
Spring has been a long time coming, and you deserve a treat. We have a fantastic way for you to celebrate the arrival of warmer temperatures – ice cream, perhaps? Oh and by the by, Pearl Market opens one week from today.
Hmmm… wonder what they two have in common? Here’s a hint:
We would love to hear what’s on your mind. How about writing a guest blog for Right Now Downtown? Your post will reach tons of people interested in Cbus, so whether you want to move people toward action or just let us all know what you’re thinking, we are opening up a platform just for you.
Send us your thoughts, and you might just see your name in print. No more than 400 words, please, and keep it clean. Email your post to Melissa Fast at mlfast@sidservices.com. Now check out what YP extraordinaire Steve Michalovich thinks about these cold temps and getting around town…
THROW ON A JACKET AND EXPERIENCE OUR DOWNTOWN
We had a taste of spring, but winter is far from over. It’s gloomy, and everyone is sick of the ice and snow. We long for warm, sunny days – but those days seem so far away. And the foot traffic on our downtown streets has also taken a hit with the wintry weather.
So I am challenging my fellow urbanites to brave the elements, walk out the door and take advantage of everything our urban core has to offer. We have so many convenient options available to us downtown that are only a short walk away.
Nowhere in town is there such a dense mix of vibrant dining options. Don’t settle for the drive-thru – take in a meal at a unique place you haven’t been before. Whether you are after a traditional diner, Asian cuisine, deli sandwiches, fine dining, or simply a burger and fries, downtown’s many eateries can satisfy your taste buds.
It is also important to take advantage of the many services offered in downtown. Downtown is our neighborhood, so why not get your clothes dry cleaned, pick up household products, purchase local produce, and buy gifts from our downtown neighbors? Supporting our local businesses promotes a thriving downtown, which leads to a stronger community and city at-large.
The chilly weather should not scare us into our cars and out of downtown. Let’s instead bring the feeling of spring to our downtown in February, by putting our boots to the pavement and showing that we can still enjoy what our downtown has to offer even when the conditions outside are less-than desirable.
The Winter Pearl Market is in full swing at its indoor location at 33 N. Third Street. Stop by on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and check out all there is to offer (but we won’t be there on Friday, November 26). Here’s a quick video to show you what you’ve been missing. With all the produce, food items and handmade offerings, you can find great holiday gifts and wonderful local produce to prepare for your holiday guests.
On October 29 the summer Pearl Market closed for the 2010 season, wrapping up another very successful year of bringing fresh, local produce, foods and unique goods to the downtown community. Over the course of the summer, 58 merchants and 30 farmers peddled their wares in the Pearl and Lynn alleys with spillover on Broad and Gay streets. The Market operated for 47 days this summer, with an average of 3,500 people exploring its offerings on any given day. That totals almost 165,000 visits – all from people who enjoy shopping, lunch, entertainment and some fantastic people watching.
Numbers like these reinforce the importance of Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District’s commitment to running the Pearl Market. Our Market Manager, Adam Schroeder, has helped expand the Market’s offerings through outreach to potential farmers and vendors and has improved the Market’s accessibility and visibility. This year, after a trial run in the 2009-10 Winter Pearl Market, guests of the Market could use credit cards or the Ohio Direction Card to purchase tokens redeemable at almost all Market vendors. The move from cash-only purchasing made it easier for last-minute shoppers, and the ability to use the Ohio Direction Card opened the Market to a new demographic. The program was a huge success with over $14,000 in credit card transactions and over $2,400 in Ohio Direction Card/EBT transactions.
Special events and offerings served to boost interest and attendance at the Market. Five Tasty Tuesdays were held, during which staff prepared recipes featuring Market products and provided samples and copies of the recipes to customers. (If you missed our Tasty Tuesdays, you can still check out the recipes at downtowncolumbus.com/pearlmarket/special-events). The Ohio Proud Mobile Kitchen set up shop in the Market on two occasions. Area chefs shopped the Market and then prepared some tasty samples for Market customers. Other special events included the Second Annual Kids’ Day on July 27 in conjunction with COSI, which garnered media attention on all of the major network television stations. And there was Tomato Day, Strawberry Day, Squash Day, Taste of the Summer Harvest and Taste of the Fall Harvest, all of which featured special recipes and samples of the special ingredient or ingredients of the day. Plus customers were able to enjoy live entertainment every Market day from a variety of musical guests, which sometimes led to actual dancing in the streets.
Capital Crossroads kicked off the Friends of the Market program this summer to allow fans of the Market to help support daily operations. Both individual and business Friends of the Market options are available for purchase, benefits of which include a listing on the Pearl Market website and a reusable canvas Pearl Market shopping bag. By the end of the Summer Market, 30 individuals and one business had signed up to be Friends of the Market. If you are interested in more information or would like to take a peek at our Friends list, visit downtowncolumbus.com/pearlmarket/friends.
The Market received much earned media from newsprint to television all season long. One of the highlights included Fox 28 reporter, Johnny DiLoretto, who came to the Market and aired his entire morning show live in the alley. He promoted the Market and interviewed vendors, which was a great way to support the entrepreneurial spirit of the Market vendors. In addition, Market promotions were enhanced through our marketing and communications channels, including Facebook, Twitter and our weekly Right Now Downtown email blast. Each vehicle was used to share information on special events and a weekly Market Special was available to Right Now Downtown subscribers. One of our Market vendors penned a weekly blog post called the Market Maven and we posted a number of videos showing interviews with vendors and highlighting what makes the Market unique.
Though the summer Pearl Market has wrapped up for another year, the Winter Pearl Market is just kicking off. The Winter Market will be held on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. November 2 through February 25 at 33 N. Third Street.
The Market is getting a wee bit smaller as the weather turns cold, but there is still plenty to do and see. Many vendors are adjusting their businesses accordingly. One of the food carts is serving piping hot pea soup. Delicious! One of our favorite musicians, Bob Piascik, strolled the alley a bit as he played, encouraging a dance party among vendors and visitors alike. Cupcake Susie made perfect fall cupcakes this week, spiced apple cider and pumpkin honey almond! Café Brioso always brings plenty of hot coffee that smells so enticing you can’t pass it up.
If you have been down to enjoy the Market this season, then you have probably noticed our fantastic Market staff. They are always on hand to help and have done a marvelous job with everything from directing traffic when a car has to pass to tents flying away in the wind to capturing it all in pictures. They are also the reason the Market is continuing. The Winter Pearl Market has found a location (33 N. Third Street) and is set to begin after the summer Market is over, but we need everyone to come and support it! Hope to see you soon!
I love the chill in the air! Especially with the Cafe Brioso coffee smell wafting down the street, along with pumpkin spice crepes! It was a glorious fall day at the Market. This week I stocked up on vegetable. Everything is so ripe and looks fantastic! I don’t know who found purple vegetables in the first place, but I love them, and more importantly, my kids love them. We got purple bell peppers that taste just like the green variety but come in a color more appropriate for princesses. Let’s face it; princesses can’t eat your average colored vegetables. I also got arugula, spinach, tomatoes, banana peppers and zucchini.
I stopped by Zapico Foods this week to sample their sauces. This place has it all! Owner Mike tells of his grandmother making these recipes a hundred years ago for the family, and teaching him about growing his own vegetables to put in the recipes. These sauces and dressings are all made and packaged at The Ohio State University. He makes a rich tomato sauce, a balsamic dressing and a smoky barbeque sauce, all at a very reasonable price.
The Vintage Vamp has beautiful jewelry. Her things have such an exquisite look about them, like you would belong in an old movie while wearing them. If you like her style, she does custom work as well. Definitely worth checking out while you are at the Market.
I love that my three-year-old son now wakes up on Tuesdays and screams, “Market! We do to market today!” At the beginning of the summer, it was a bit harder to entice him to want to go. But now he has learned the beauty of samples, fresh tomatoes, live music we can dance to, and friendly Market staff who are always up for playtime. Andy played his guitar and sang for us at the Market last week and it was lovely! He had all sorts of people singing along with him and dancing down the street, which got me just a bit closer to my dream of living in a musical.
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!
Gorgeous weather at the Market! Fall is what Ohio does best, in my opinion. In case you missed it, Tuesday was Squash Day. The Market Sample Booth had all sorts of goodies out, including lemon and yellow squash cupcakes, chilled squash soup and little acorn squash cakes. It was fabulous and you can find the recipes here! The next special day at the Market is September 28 when Barrio’s chef cooks for shoppers in the Ohio Proud Mobile Kitchen. If you haven’t been to one yet, you should definitely come out to this one.
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!
We would love to hear what’s on your mind. How about writing a guest blog for Right Now Downtown? Your post will reach tons of people interested in Cbus, so whether you want to move people toward action or just let us all know what you’re thinking, we are opening up a platform just for you. 
On October 29 the summer Pearl Market closed for the 2010 season, wrapping up another very successful year of bringing fresh, local produce, foods and unique goods to the downtown community. Over the course of the summer, 58 merchants and 30 farmers peddled their wares in the Pearl and Lynn alleys with spillover on Broad and Gay streets. The Market operated for 47 days this summer, with an average of 3,500 people exploring its offerings on any given day. That totals almost 165,000 visits – all from people who enjoy shopping, lunch, entertainment and some fantastic people watching.
The Market is getting a wee bit smaller as the weather turns cold, but there is still plenty to do and see. Many vendors are adjusting their businesses accordingly. One of the food carts is serving piping hot pea soup. Delicious! One of our favorite musicians, 
I love the chill in the air! Especially with the 
I love that my three-year-old son now wakes up on Tuesdays and screams, “Market! We do to market today!” At the beginning of the summer, it was a bit harder to entice him to want to go. But now he has learned the beauty of samples, fresh tomatoes, live music we can dance to, and friendly Market staff who are always up for playtime. Andy played his guitar and sang for us at the Market last week and it was lovely! He had all sorts of people singing along with him and dancing down the street, which got me just a bit closer to my dream of living in a musical.
Gorgeous weather at the Market! Fall is what Ohio does best, in my opinion. In case you missed it, Tuesday was Squash Day. The Market Sample Booth had all sorts of goodies out, including lemon and yellow squash cupcakes, chilled squash soup and little acorn squash cakes. It was fabulous and