ROCK the BLOCK REMIX

The City of Winston-Salem is shaking things up!! Rock the Block,  the annual end-of-summer street party, was for years held up and down several blocks of 4th Street.

But this year, they're rotating the footprint 90 degrees and placing music stages at 4 different locations, from Corpening Plaza to Winston Square to Civic Plaza to 6th Street in the Arts District. This will allow the major streets through town to remain open and vehicular traffic to move around more freely.  PLUS it takes advantage of several made-for-music-and-crowds outdoor venues.

We are especially pleased that the Arts District will be able to take part in the festival for the first time, as the Rock, Country and Blues stage will be located at 6th Street, between Cherry and Trade Streets. 


http://visitwinstonsalem.com/special-events/view/rock

STELLAR NIGHT on Trade Streeet

Michael Bennett and the "B" String All Stars gave a stellar performance at what has become a much-anticipated annual appearance at the Downtown WS Partnership's Summer Music on Trade event. Lots of beautiful people rocked out, danced, walked their dogs, imbibed various beverages of choice, shopped, and inhaled the refreshing breeze of picture-perfect weather.

Regression

Ventured out Wednesday eve to hear the GBs perform at the District Bar & Grille, located between the 700 blocks of Trade and Liberty Streets.  60s oldie-goldie British rock 'n' roll at its finest.  With a 40th high school reunion coming up next month, waxing nostalgic is inevitable, I guess.

Hadn't been to the District before, but it was time to check it out.  The band was set up outdoors on an upstairs landing against a backdrop of the downtown Winston-Salem skyline by night. Beatles, Herman's Hermits, Stones, Kinks....

The GBs:  Chuck Dale Smith (center), Fred Benton (right), with Henry (?) on the left and a drummer back there somewhere.

Somebody just posted a photo of some of Fred Benton, Chuck Dale Smith & bandmates from "back in the day....."

Worth noting are the bright-white ice-cream-man suits that came from none other than Miller's Variety Store.  Well, Miller's happens to still be in business (80+ years and counting), and they have this HUMONGOUS basement full of vintage clothing and all kinds of other tacky stuff.  They could very well still have some of these suits, you know......

When Fred mentioned having burned his white duds along with his powder-blue tux, I just had to resurrect a photo of Prom Date JeffYoursElf, all decked out in a powder-blue suit from Miller's basement....

So, what in dad-gum-tarnation is JeffYoursElf? Gotta save that one for another post some day. I'll need to confirm that Jeff Broughton is safely out of town first because I'm not sure I'll be allowed to live much longer after telling the tale....

And the Bands Play On....

Summer on Trade continues to draw awesome crowds every Saturday night.  Different band each week, different kind of crowd.  But always one thing in common:  People get up and dance.  West End Mambo, a well established local band that plays energetic Latin rhythms, packed the 6th & Trade dance "floor" this past Saturday with people doing all kinds of variations of Latin dance, salsa, rumba, samba, merengue, cha-cha, mambo-sambo-rambo, cha-cha-cha-choo-choo, tango-mango......

I was at my usual station, painting hats at a table in front of my shop (Willy Nilly) when a woman stopped and remarked that she'd never seen such a crowd at a gallery hop.  "No, gallery hop was last night," I attempted to explain to her. "This is Summer on Trade music series, every Saturday night throughout the summer."

DWSP: Alphabet Scoop du Jour

I then tried to clarify further that Summer on Trade is a production of the Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership (DWSP) along with some generous corporate partners, especially Truliant Federal Credit Union. This is its 15th year!! (Even though it draws a decent crowd every week, it continues to amaze me how many local people don't know about what I consider one of downtown W-S's finest --and FREE-- events.)  The stage goes  up at the 6th & Trade Street intersection, with the adjacent blocks of Trade and 6th streets barricaded so that people and cars don't mix it up. Several shops and galleries stay open late for the event, especially those located close to the intersection.

DADA:  Alphabet Scoop du Jour, Part Deux

Gallery Hops, I explained to her, are produced by the Downtown Art District Association (DADA) and are held the first Friday of every month, all year 'round. They involve the entire Art District, with the entire area blocked off from vehicular traffic in favor of such outdoor activities as the recent Tomato Tasting, belly-dance performances,  and much more.  All the studios, galleries and shops keep late hours for gallery hops, many holding receptions to open new art exhibitions.  There are usually other vendors and organizations which arrange with DADA to set up a booth or table in the street.

AFAS:  Alphabet Scoop gone Animal Crackers

The woman was still somewhat bewildered at the thought of so much activity on Trade Street. I decided to boggle her mind a little further when I mentioned that in October we'd have Arts On Sunday, a series of Sunday afternoon art fairs produced by Art for Art's Sake (AFAS).  Her poor head was reeling by now, so I decided to save the detailed explanation for the blog.

The Trade Street Corollary of the Law of Attraction

Now, it seems everybody wants to jump onto the Trade Street bandwagon, as it continues to grow in popularity as a venue for other events.  In July it played host to Krispy Kreme's 75th Anniversary Celebration Bash, which featured a terrific party band and free Krispy Kreme products, especially their famous doughnuts, served hot off a mobile version of  a doughnut bakery.

Earlier this year we welcomed Habitat for Humanity's annual BirdFest, a fundraising effort that for years took place near their ReStore off Stratford Road in an area bordering the historic Ardmore neighborhood. The move to Trade Street was a win-win situation for both Habitat and the Arts District.

Next month we look forward to Bookmarks Book Festival, returning to the Downtown Arts District for the 3rd straight year.  This year they've expanded the footprint for the festival to include the Urban League at 5th and Trade Street and the Downtown School and the 7th and Trade intersection.  Personally, I'm super-pleased to be near the Main Stage at 6th and Trade.  Besides being just beyond the doorstep of my shop, it will open with the appearance of Woody Durham, the famous Voice of the Tar Heels for 40 years. Being a die-hard Tar Heel born and bred (my father was an alumnus, Class of '49, and I graduated in the Class of 1976), I have to answer the call to meet a man whose voice has been such an important part of my life!!

For once, my art-world and my sports-world will collide.  Gotta bookmark this.

Trade Street Rocks!

Temperature last Saturday topped 100 degrees. There were reports that a number of outdoor activities in town that had been cancelled due to the excessive heat. But on Trade Street, the show had to go on!! Martha Bassett and her band were real troupers, rewarding their stalwart fans with a stellar performance.

I had been somewhat hot and bothered when I pulled up the Trade Street Tracker that afternoon, intending to add an update, only to find that the background photo had disappeared!! All there was in the background were a bunch of white minus signs against a black background. Other photos had disappeared to, only to be replaced with this in-your-face minus-sign. Google, what gives??

Finally found a new photo to serve as a decent background image and uploaded after resizing umphf times because it kept being too large. DOUBLE hot 'n' bothered.  Finally got it to work; left computer to go set up my hat-painting table outside.

At last, I was able to settle down and paint. Martha's exceptional voice was the perfect antidote to my frazzled condition. Then my sister Denise and her husband Perry showed up with Kendall's new puppy, this cute little fluff-ball named Clay, an Aussie-Doodle.  Had to abandon the paint brushes in favor of the camera. 

MUSIC, SWEET MUSIC

"There'll be music, sweet music....for dancin'  in the streets!"

It's here!  Summer on Trade, an annual, summer-long, FREE event presented by the Downtown W-S Partnership, which happens on Saturday evenings, 7-10pm.The 500 and 600 blocks of Trade Street are blocked off, along with 6th Street on either side of Trade.  The stage and sound system are constructed in the intersection.  6th Street and adjacent areas of Trade Street that surround the stage are transformed into an amphitheater of sorts as people filter in and set up their chairs for an evening concert by some of the area's finest musicians. And there is plenty of room in front of the stage for dancing in the streets!

Bring your kids, bring your dogs, bring your out-of-town guests, bring yourself! 

Just don't bring your coolers; beer and wine are available at the beer tent as well as at street vendors, resident bars and restaurants; they will serve your beverages in plastic cups so that you can take them with you and walk around within the police barricades.  

Also bring some cash or your debit card--there are several ATM machines around, and plenty of shops and galleries who keep extended hours so that you can "shop local." Kids' activities include chalk drawing in the streets in several locations, and kids love to dance in the streets! Parking is available in nearby lots off Liberty, Main, Cherry and Marshall streets. And your safety is assured by great street lighting and the presence of friendly but ever-vigilant bike patrol and other law enforcement officers.

Summer on Trade Music Series

• WHO:    YOU and your family and friends.
• WHAT:   Free concerts by talented area bands and musical groups.
• WHEN:   Saturdays, beginning June 16th, 7-10pm
• WHERE: The intersection of 6th and Trade Streets,Downtown Arts District, Winston-Salem NC
• WHY:     Because it's FREE and FUN and FAMILY-FRIENDLY.