We are rolling into spring festival season, and there is one coming up Saturday. However, given that you never know what kind of weather you are going to get in March, the organizers made a smart call and made it an indoor festival. The Great River Indoor Food Festival and Marketplace happens this Saturday at the Cook Convention Center. There will be food trucks, vendors, and live music, and the money raised benefits a worthy organization, the Hospitality HUB. Your dollars spent at this festival will help HUB staff provide needed services to help the homeless get back on their feet. I will be checking this festival out for sure sometime Saturday. I will find out when my friends will be there, but who knows, I might even lead off there and move Bardog back to my second stop. This is the last Saturday for a long while for which the Farmers Market does not factor into my plans.
Downtowners now have two bingo options on Wednesday nights. Of course, I have blogged about Diamond Dave’s British Bingo every Wednesday at 7:30 at the Brass Door, in the Downtown core. South Mainers now have a bingo option as well. The folks behind Cerrito Trivia are bringing (American) bingo to the Green Beetle Wednesdays at 7. Cerrito Bingo is sponsored by North Carolina’s Oskar Blues Brewery and there are $3 beer specials at the Beetle during the game.
Speaking of the Brass Door, I stopped by for happy hour last night. I got to talking to the bartender and she told me how she used Couchsurfing to see America on a budget. “You’d be an ideal host, Paul,” she told me. “You know so much about Downtown.” That’s true, except for one problem: I’m never home. However, our conversation reminded me of the Party with a Local app. When I mentioned it on this blog previously, it wasn’t available in Memphis yet. Last night I checked and now it is. I downloaded it and signed up. I will fill out my profile this week. I enjoy showing people the reasons I love Downtown, and showing them that the “real” Downtown is not the Rendezvous and Beale Street.
The bartender mentioned that she’d love to turn the Brass Door into a vegetarian and vegan Irish pub. Please, no! Not right after I rediscovered it! Fortunately I am pretty sure Seamus will veto her idea. Now that LYFE Kitchen is open, that crowd already has a spot to get their kale and tofu and quinoa while sitting at a bar.
For those of you who like what DJ Cody does at the Silly Goose but hate the Downtown traffic and parking situation, this Friday is for you. Cody posted that it looks like he will be playing a set at Celtic Crossing out in Midtown.
If you’re looking for a chance to express your creative side, my friend Mandy is teaching a special class to celebrate her birthday next Tuesday, March 29, with free cupcakes. You’ll have to travel, though; the class is in Olive Branch.
The MBJ reports that $20 million in construction permits have been filed for the Tennessee Brewery.
Short a couple of barbacks right now, the Blind Bear is experimenting with a new idea: Sunday Fun Day regulars doing special guest barbacking. Tony was the barback Sunday and B-RAD was surprised at the excellent job Tony did.
Another regular, Rahul, will bareback next Sunday.
You know, taking Lyfts is not only cheap, but you meet some interesting people. This morning I ordered a Lyft to take me to a garage in Bartlett that had been doing brake work on the car. I told the driver I was a web developer, and he mentioned that he maintained the website for his church. He said the tools he was using were getting a bit out of date. I told him to take a look at WordPress as a possible engine to power his site, and CodeAcademy if he wants to learn more about the language of websites. I’ve taken cab rides to Bartlett before and they were in the $29-35 range. Cost of my Lyft out there? $16.01.
Back at work and plenty to do. I will be out about 5:30, not sure where yet.