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.

About this Blog

Once upon a time, not so very long ago, Trade Street was a run-down, seedy part of downtown Winston-Salem. It was a place you didn't visit, day or night.

In recent years the area has undergone a dramatic transformation into a vibrant community of restaurants, residences, shops, studios, galleries and a few service-oriented businesses.

However, there are many long-time residents of Winston-Salem and suburbs that seem to be totally unaware of the changes. As recently as last month, an out-of-town visitor to my shop said that her host told her "oh, no, we don't go downtown" to shop or dine or anything else.

I, for one, AM TIRED OF HEARING THIS from long-time residents. I don't know whether they are totally unaware or just refuse to believe that Downtown Winston-Salem could be so different from what it used to be.

So this blog is an effort to spread the word a little further that it's OKAY to go downtown, that it's possible to spend a delightful afternoon shopping and dining along Trade Street instead of being stuck in traffic along Hanes Mall Blvd.

Downtown Winston-Salem Blog: Yarn Bombing Mystery

People keep asking me about the quilt squares....so I posted on Facebook: Quilts often tell a story....no doubt the quilt squares hugging this streetlight on Trade St. have a story as well. People keep asking me the who-what-and-why, but I'm in the dark here. Anybody care to illuminate us? Cindy Taplin responded: I don't remember her name, but a young woman came to a DADA meeting to talk about "yarn bombing" as part of 7 days in November. I like them. Later, Jason Thiel posted on the Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership blog: Downtown Winston-Salem Blog: Yarn Bombing Mystery: I noticed that there was some fabric wrapped around a light pole in the Arts District and I sought out to find out who was behind this myste...

Downtown Winston-Salem Blog: Have you heard about Willy Nilly on Trade Street?

Downtown Winston-Salem Blog: Have you heard about Willy Nilly on Trade Street?: Willy Nilly is a gallery shop specializing in art and craft for kids and kids at heart. November's featured artist is L...