A Feast for the Ages

Posted on 4/11/13 by DPJ Staff » No Comments

Should we fast before we feast? Or maybe proper training includes stretching our stomachs so we can better enjoy the community/gastronomic event that is Feast on the Street.

Whatever your strategy, get the scoop on this first-ever “Urban Harvest Festival.”

What: Feast on the Street

When: Saturday, April 13, from 2 to 9 p.m.

Where: Downtown Phoenix, in the Evans Churchill/Roosevelt Row Neighborhood. First St. will be closed to car traffic to make room for the half-mile long dinner table from Taylor St. to Margaret T. Hance Park.

Admission: Free. Everyone is invited to stroll and enjoy the activities, but you will be paying for the food and beverage you consume. There is also a VIP ticket option that will give you access to a comfy indoor lounge.

Who’s Serving This Feast? It’s a veritable smorgasbord of eats featuring several downtown restaurants and food trucks. Step right up and order, then be sure to sit for the 6 p.m. dinner seating (see below).

Scheduled Highlights (be sure to check out the FULL schedule of events):

The Kick-Off Salad Toss
A “massive” ceremonial salad toss by Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel’s Chef Brian Archibald. Yep, a giant salad will be tossed using a tarp. Guests will gather around a recipe of fresh and local ingredients, typically discarded due to their bruised appearance.

• When: 2:15 p.m.
• Where: Intersection of Pierce & First Street

A “Mobile Garden Parade”
Gardens in buckets, some on wheels, including trucks, wheelbarrows, and bikes, will be led by Bad Cactus Brass Band.

• When: 3:15 p.m.
• Where: Begins at Garfield Street, marching north to Roosevelt and looping back to Garfield

Formal Dinner Seating
Take a seat! Break bread with hundreds of your closest and new-found friends at the half-mile long dinner table.

• When: 6 p.m.
• Where: The dinner table on 1st St.. stretching from Taylor St. to Margaret T. Hance Park

Sunset Toast
A formal toast to reconnect urban dwellers with a focus on the importance of the sun’s changing position and schedule in agricultural life.

• When: 7:33 p.m. – to be exact. (The official time of Sunset, April 13, 2013.)

For more, visit FeastontheStreet.org.

Tags: Artplace, ASU Art Museum, call for volunteers, downtown phoenix events, Feast on the Street, National Endowment for the Arts, Roosevelt Row CDC, The Steele Foundation
Posted in Culture, Engage, Engage PHX, Evans Churchill, Families / Kids |

A Day in the Park

Posted on 4/02/13 by Dovid Gorman » No Comments

I’m an idea man. Ask any of my friends and they’ll tell you that every week I have a new business idea or way to change the world. I like to dream. Always have.

Born and raised in “the Valley of the Sun,” I moved around quite a bit as an adult, and lived in New York City for about six years before moving back home to Phoenix to take care of my father as he battled cancer. After he passed, I decided to stay in town and definitely experienced some culture shock after being away for almost 10 years. Eventually, I adjusted and began to enjoy the beauty that the Sonoran Desert has to offer.

Of course there were things that I missed about New York. My best friend and I spent a lot of time in Central Park developing our own special relationship with the verdant oasis amidst the high-rises. I was missing that experience in Phoenix, so I decided to collect some friends to play in Hance Park. We’d bring a Frisbee, a picnic, and music, have handstand contests and play board games under the sun. The park appeared to be extremely underused. “Why is no one here? It’s such a beautiful day outside,” I would say to my friends. That’s when I decided to launch “A Day in the Park.”

“A Day in the Park” is a once-a-month Hance Park play date, dedicated to building culture and community through the use of public space. It is a place for dreamers to connect; a time to get out and enjoy nature, the weather, your friends and family, play a game of Frisbee, and fly a kite; and a fun way to support and strengthen a feeling of community. “A Day in the Park” is a day to appreciate the important things in life. “A Day in the Park” at its heart, is an ideal.

Ultimately, I would love to see “A Day in the Park” transform organically into something huge; a daylong event, attracting a diverse crowd, offering live local music, art vendors, small local businesses, food trucks galore, and activities that would bring folks together. It’d be great to see non-profit organizations attend, getting their message out, and collaborating with one another. Use the park to develop and sustain healthy communities.

What can I say? I’m a dreamer. Invite your friends and join the fun.

If You Go:

What: A Day in the Park (DITP)

When: April 13th on Second Saturdays

Where: Margaret T. Hance Park, West side of Park – 67 W. Culver St. (between Central & 3rd Ave.)

Additional Info: Bring food, Frisbees, board games, guitars, kites…whatever you want to make your day, the best “Day in the Park.” Invite/bring your family and friends, the more the merrier! Please no glass bottles. For more visit www.facebook.com/groups/DayInTheParkPhx.

Tags: A Day in the Park, Dovid Gorman, downtown phoenix events, Hance Park
Posted in Engage, Engage PHX |

High Noon with The Queens’ Tea

Posted on 3/28/13 by J. Seth Anderson » No Comments

Michael teaching “All About Tea.”

Hello, Downtown Phoenix! And happy Spring to you! A lot has happened since I left town in July, when I moved away for love and grad school. The move took me to Salt Lake City where I live downtown, just like I did in Phoenix.

I’ve been learning and exploring my new city and, to be honest, Salt Lake has been good to me. New development downtown, extensive transportation, infill, arts, culture, history, and an awesome foodie scene have made for an adventurous and exciting year.

Just two months after I arrived here, my partner, Michael Ferguson, and I launched The Queens’ Tea, a company that sells premium loose-leaf teas and tisanes, with an emphasis on community engagement and education. (One of our tag lines: “tea – the original social media.”)

Earlier this year we started teaching classes and this weekend we are bringing our “All About Tea” class to Phoenix.

I’m excited to share my passion about tea with my old neighborhood, and to bring this company to the place where it all began. The business is based in Salt Lake, but it has its origins in downtown Phoenix.

Tea Time in Phoenix

The idea for the tea company began in my apartment in downtown Phoenix in February 2012. One night, after a discussion about coffee, Michael and I realized we knew nothing about tea. What exactly is tea? Where does it come from? What’s the difference between black and green tea? What’s an oolong tea? And why does it taste gross when I make it?

Tea service during the Sundance Film Festival.

Boxed tea from the grocery store proved little help in answering our questions. When we tore open the little paper bags, we poured out some dust and stuff that looked like grass clippings. This is tea? No wonder I’m a coffee drinker.

Soon we tried to dry fruit in the oven to mix with the tea bags we bought. But, instead of something flavorful, sweet and delicious we were left with withered, tasteless fruit chunks that even my dog wouldn’t eat.

Discouraged but not yet defeated, we kept searching and learning. At a teashop in Phoenix we finally discovered the Holy Grail: loose-leaf tea, which we discovered just in time because, as luck would have it, a trip to China and Japan was just a few weeks away. Now that we knew what tea should be, we figured we would be somewhat informed while in the tea-growing capital of the world.

In Beijing we took classes taught by tea experts who had studied many years to become certified as tea teachers. We tasted some of the freshest leaves and learned about brewing and harvesting. At the tea mall, a five-story shopping center selling only tea leaves and and accessories in the middle of the tea district, we met a tea farming family. In their shop they shared with us tea they had grown and prepared and let us sample dozens of varieties. Through pointing and nodding and the help of an online translator we learned more about them and their business. It was in that little shop where I first drank milk oolong that for me is now the taste of summer.

When Michael and I arrived back in the US, the idea had firmly taken hold. Our nascent hobby became a new business venture because we wanted to share our love of tea with the world. The Queens’ Tea was born.

We spent the rest of the summer learning how to start a business and formed an LLC by September. In November, we sold tea at the Wasatch Front Winter Farmers Market and then things took off. We were asked to serve tea at the Fatali Gallery in Park City during the Sundance Film Festival in January; we met other small business owners; we sold at markets around the state; and got on the shelf in some local stores.

All About Tea

Tea class in session.

This coming weekend Michael and I are bringing our tea class “All about Tea” to downtown. We hope you’ll be able to join us as we explore the history, health benefits, production and best brewing methods of this ancient beverage.

You’ll sample six of our teas including green, black, white and oolong and leave with a gift bag of five samples plus the class literature prepared specifically for this class.

As the world’s most widely consumed beverage, the varieties of tea are endless. The vision of The Queens’ Tea bridges peoples and cultures, bringing them together by sharing the worldwide variations and traditions of this exquisite drink. And since it has been cherished for thousands of years, tea rekindles our connection to history, the earth, and each other.

You’re invited to come sample, mingle and enjoy.

If You Go

Date: Saturday, March 30

High Tea at High Noon: 12 p.m., 800 N. 1st Avenue (NWC of 1st Ave and McKinley, parking lot on north side of building

All About Tea: 4:30 p.m., The Coe House Gallery, 365 N. 4th Ave. (street parking)

Cost: $20

Info and Class Registration: www.thequeenstea.com and Facebook

Photos provided by The Queens’ Tea.

Tags: All About Tea, Beijing, downtown phoenix events, Salt Lake City, tea, The Queens' Tea
Posted in Coffee Tea Desserts, Eats & Drinks, Engage PHX |

Five Reasons to be Excited about McDowell Mountain Music Festival

Posted on 3/19/13 by Courtney McCune » No Comments

The McDowell Mountain Music Festival rolls into downtown Phoenix March 22, 23 and 24, bringing together music, arts, food and fun. Here are the top five reasons we’re stoked to have this locally grown event happening in our own backyard!

1. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

After nearly a decade in North Scottsdale, the annual music festival is heading south to a new downtown Phoenix address. Margaret T. Hance Park will play host to the event, which will include two stages of both national and local music acts, arts & crafts vendors, food trucks, camping, kids activities and a whole lot more.

John Largay, festival founder and president of Wespac Construction, the organization behind the McDowell Mountain Music Festival, felt there were a number of good reasons to relocate the event.

Largay saw a natural partnership between the MMMF, the Roosevelt district and the City of Phoenix, with their shared goal of bringing arts and culture to the community. Says Largay, “I think it’s something that (we) can build around. So if we’re there to support community and culture, which is really our primary mission . . . I think we picked a good location and I think we picked a good partner in the City of Phoenix.”

He also liked the amenities that downtown Phoenix had to offer. “I love Hance Park. It’s a great fit for what we’re doing,” says Largay,“and from a convenience and logistics, access side, both from a light rail and parking standpoint, it’s very easy for a lot of people to get to.”

2. A ROCKIN’ LINE-UP

With national headliners like The Roots, The Shins and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes and a great collection of local artists, this year’s MMMF line-up should have something for just about every music fan – which is exactly what the organizers are going for.

“We think music is universal,” says Largay, “that’s a universal language that speaks to a 10-year-old the same as it speaks to an 80-year-old, so we try to diversify our genres to make sure there’s some entertainment factor for everybody.”

Largay is especially proud that the line-up includes a number of critically acclaimed bands that haven’t stopped in Phoenix for a while, like The Shins and The Umphrey’s McGee.

3. SWEET CHARITY

As if a great location and a great line-up weren’t enough, the McDowell Mountain Music Festival is essentially a charity event, donating 100% of its proceeds to local nonprofits.

According to Largay, it’s been that way since the beginning. The festival started ten years ago as a charity project organized by Wespac employees and their friends and family and has continued to build on that mission ever since.

This year, all of the funds will be donated to three local charities: Phoenix Children’s Hospital, UMOM New Day Centers and Ear Candy Music Charity. Since its inception, the festival has given over $700,000 back to the community.

4. FREE YOGA

You’ll be able to prepare your mind, body and soul for a day of awesome music with a free yoga class from Sutra Midtown Yoga, one of downtown’s coolest studios.

According to Sutra co-owner Matthew Fritz, they will offer a free all-levels Vinyasa class on the Saturday and Sunday mornings of the festival, complete with a live dj. The class will take place inside the festival grounds on the local stage from 10am-11am both days.

The class is open to anyone who’d like to attend, whether you have a ticket to the festival or not. If you don’t have a ticket, but decide you’d like to stick around, yoga participants can buy tickets at the gate for a discounted rate of $45 with their Sutra wristband. That’s a win-win for the mind, body, soul and wallet!

Learn more here: http://sutramidtown.com/events#mmmf

5. JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE

It may sound like a copout, but it’s true: from the afterhours shows at The Crescent Ballroom, to camping at the festival, to the vast array of delicious eats and drinks to choose from – there are countless reasons to be excited about this year’s McDowell Mountain Music Festival.

Most of all, we are thrilled that it will bring together a community of music and culture lovers for a great time and a great cause. And it’s all happening right in our fantastic downtown.

If You Go

What: McDowell Mountain Music Festival

Where: Margaret T. Hance Park – 200 E. Moreland St.

When:

March 22: doors 4 p.m./show 5 p.m.

March 23: doors 11 a.m./show 12 p.m.

March 24: doors 11 a.m./show 12 p.m.

Tickets: http://mmmf.ticketfly.com/

Photos provided by McDowell Mountain Music Festival

Tags: downtown phoenix events, Festivals, live music, McDowell Mountain Music Festival
Posted in Arts & Culture, Evans Churchill, Festivals, Live Music |

Call for Volunteers | Feast on the Street

Posted on 3/18/13 by DPJ Staff » No Comments

DPJ’s Wire series delivers news and information straight from the source without translation.

Calling all Volunteers!

Feast on the Street,  Sat., April 13

WHAT
Feast on the Street…a strolling celebration for the eyes and palate!  A community dinner party in the new urban harvest tradition.  Linking guests through a half-mile long dining table, a promenade of artist-driven street entertainment, demonstrations of sustainability, and a shared joy of exploring the heart of downtown Phoenix through locally sourced food and music.

*This is a FREE public event.

An ambling rediscovery of something natural and unique to each person… long forgotten in the urban landscape.

WHO
Initiated by ASU Art Museum and the Desert Initiative, Roosevelt Row CDC and agriculturally inspired artists – London’s Clare Patey and Phoenix’s Matt Moore

NEED
Calling all Volunteers!  Be part of this historic first-ever event.

Register at www.feastonthestreet.org/volunteer/

VOLUNTEER
Sign up & receive a T-shirt, plus discounts/offers at select food trucks

POSITIONS [& shifts]
Set-up (set-up tables, chairs, lights, décor…) 8am-noon; noon-3pm
Beverages (oversee water stations, sell drink tickets…) 1:30-5:300m; 5-9pm
Clean Team (roam event, disposing of trash, etc.) 2-6pm; 5:30-9:30pm
Guest services (distribute information to guests) 1:30-5:30pm; 5-9pm
Parking Attendant (direct guests to parking areas) 1-4:30pm; 4-7:30pm
Rover (offer assistance as needed) 1:30-5:30pm; 5-9pm
Breakdown (dissemble tables, chairs, lights, décor, etc.) 6-9pm; 8:30-10:30pm

*Please note: tasks can change. Event planners will work with you to determine best options based on volunteer preferences and positions available.

WHEN
Saturday, April 13, 2013

WHERE
Downtown Phoenix – First Street spanning a half-mile from Taylor Street (north of Van Buren ) to Moreland Street (south of I-10) 

EVENT TIME
2pm – 9pm

SUPPORT
Supported in part by ASU Art Museum, ArtPlace, National Endowment for the Arts, Roosevelt Row CDC and The Steele Foundation

Tags: Artplace, ASU Art Museum, call for volunteers, downtown phoenix events, Feast on the Street, National Endowment for the Arts, Roosevelt Row CDC, The Steele Foundation
Posted in Culture, Engage, Evans Churchill, Families / Kids, Festivals, From the Wire |