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: https://www.epageflip.net/i/56704
www.cityoffayetteville.org 4th Friday Is An Exciting Time Downtown 4th Friday, a monthly celebration of the arts, music and all things downtown, is well underway this year with big plans for 2012. Most familiar with the event look forward to it every month and those new to the area fall in love with downtown, while walking, watching performers on every corner, and visiting shops and restaurants with even more art demonstrations and music. This year is no exception. The Downtown Alliance, which sponsors 4th Friday, is continuing with the ever popular themes from last year and adding in new ones as well. Alongside the established art, music, food and fun that most have come to expect, there will be other features to look forward to in the coming months. Having just kicked off Fourth Friday in February with a Mardi Gras theme, the fun will continue each month through October, with November reserved for a Fayetteville favorite: A Dickens Holiday, and December for the Christmas holiday. See the schedule below for a brief list of planned themes: March: Let's "Can" Hunger Artworks (canned food drive and competition) April: Field of Honor Tribute May: The Big Eat June: Scavenger hunt July: Christmas in July Aug.: Health and Wellness Sept.: International Downtown Celebration Oct.: Zombie Walk More details to come as the months roll along. Trying out new menu items in restaurants with the Big Eat, receiving clues for hidden prizes with the scavenger hunt and enjoying different countries during International Folk Festival weekend are all part of the fun to expect this year. And while the Downtown Alliance is hard at work, the Arts Council is, too. Just a hop, skip and a jump away at the corner of Maxwell and Franklin streets, the Arts Council hosts Arts Alive at 4th Friday, featuring a new exhibit each month with various guests. 4th Friday has something for everyone, whether you are an avid art enthusiast, a people watcher, a shopper or a bit of all. Explore art, shops in our cute shops, have dinner in one of our fabulous restaurants or come to see old friends and meet new ones. Downtown is the place to be every 4th Friday from 6 to 10 p.m., so don't miss it! At a Glance The long-awaited Franklin Street Parking Deck is now open for parking! This new deck offers 295 spaces, which is an increase of 214 spaces for downtown. Safety features include: lighting 2.5 times brighter than state standards, 19-foot ceilings, security cameras inside and outside, a glass elevator and stairwell, emergency call boxes directly linked to 911, and automated pay stations, accessible by foot or by car. During normal weekday business hours, the parking deck will also offer a great option to downtown employees and visitors, which will free up two and three hour parking spaces during busy days. Spaces are available in the upper tiers for downtown employees the day. And, of course, it is free to park on weeknights, weekends and holidays (you still need to take a ticket at the gate, but there is no charge). There are even three electric car charging stations. For more information on how to lease a space, contact Fayetteville Parking Service at 222-0302. For photos and further information about downtown, visit Downtown Fayetteville on Facebook at www.facebook.com/downtownfayetteville. JAMI SHEPPARD McLAUGHLIN, Downtown Development Manager jmclaughlin@ci.fay.nc.us www.facebook.com/downtownfayetteville Calendar of Events March 17 - CONTACT Crisis Helpline's 16th Annual Run CONTACT of Fayetteville, www.contactcrisishelp.com March 23 - 4th Friday and Arts Alive at 4th Friday Downtown Alliance and Arts Council, www.theartscouncil.com March 25 - Walk for Wishes 5K, Make a Wish Foundation of Eastern NC, http://eastnc.wish.org/ Want To Move To Downtown Fayetteville? If you are looking for that cool apartment above shops or to open your own business downtown, call 433-1599 for more information. The City of Fayetteville also has business assistance programs. To see if you qualify, call 433-1596. Or call 433-1599 for information on opening a business or moving downtown. How Much Do You Know About Downtown? See if you know the answer to this trivia question: How many Big Belly solar compactors are downtown? jmclaughlin@ci.fay.nc.us will win a fun prize. announced in the next installment of Downtown Developments. Congratulations to Julie Donahue for submitting the correct answer last issue (and we had a record number of answers come in!). J. Cole shot a video downtown and was nominated for Best New Artist for the 54th Grammy Awards. WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM FEB. 29 - MARCH 6, 2012 UCW 19