Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1480910
26 UCW OCTOBER 5 - 11, 2022 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Best Moving Company • 2009 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 •2014 •2015 •2016 •2017 •2018 •2019 •2021 •2022 1517 Hope Mills Rd. 910-826-MOVE 910-630-MOVE (6683) Hudson is excited that Daddy's number one again! Thank You Fayetteville For voting us thirteen years in a row Free Estimates • Reasonable Rates • Fully Insured Residential & Commercial www.AndyAndersonMoving.com 2022 Cool Spring Downtown District receives award a STAFF REPORT e International Downtown Asso- ciation recognized Cool Spring Down- town District with the Downtown Achievement Award of Excellence for its resourceful approaches related to their inaugural event, Night Circus, a New Year's Eve Spectacular. A jury of peer professionals re- viewed, deliberated and evaluated all entries in the 2022 Downtown Achievement Awards. e Award of Excellence acknowl- edges an excellent response to an urban place management challenge, demonstrating application of indus- try knowledge and exceeds the jury criteria. Night Circus was among 23 quali- fied entries in the category of Mar- keting, Communications and Events which IDA identifies as one of the seven professional urban place man- agement practice areas. is category features unique organizational ap- proaches and projects in the areas of branding, public relations, marketing strategies and communications plans. "Being recognized on an inter- national scale for our efforts is truly an honor. We love to bring positive recognition to our deserving city," said Bianca Shoneman of the Cool Spring Downtown District. e event, in partnership with the city of Fayetteville, was Fayetteville's first self-curated New Year's Eve pro- duction in over a decade. Headliners included four national touring acts — All-4-One, Rob Base, C + C Music Factory and Coolio. Inspired by a novel of the same name, the circus showcased an array of acrobats, aerialists, fire dancers, live art demos and more, with a variety of delicious food to tempt the senses. To transition from 2021 to 2022, the team hired a local production com- pany, Blashfield Signs, to fabricate an eighteen-foot, multi-colored star dotted with over 150 LED lights. At the stroke of midnight, the star was lifted into the sky, accompanied by a spectacular burst of fireworks, ringing in the New Year. "Coming out of the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, we knew we wanted something vibrant and excit- ing for our community as we celebrat- ed surviving a tumultuous year and moving towards thriving in the next", shared Director of Special Projects, Ashanti Bennett. Cool Spring Downtown District has demonstrated skillful application of urban place management principles with their project Night Circus, said David Downey, IDA President and CEO. "e Night Circus should serve as a framework to all member com- munities within IDA." Sponsors for the event included: Piedmont Natural Gas, presenting sponsor and ABC11 as the title media sponsor. Healy Wholesale, the Public Works Commission, the Dogwood Festival, Cumulus Broadcasting, the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Beasley Media, City View Magazine and Fayetteville-Cum- berland County Arts Council were also corporate donors. Various city departments, especially the Parks and Recreation Department, assisted with event management. Washington, DC-based IDA is the premier organization for urban place professionals who are shaping and ac- tivating dynamic city center districts. e Cool Spring Downtown District is the urban place management organization representing the interests of property owners in Fayetteville. NEWS