Wilmington Jaycees' Parade this Saturday

This  Saturday will be a great time to bring the whole family out for the 53rd Annual Wilmington Jaycees' Holiday Parade!

Here's the details:

The Wilmington Jaycees’ 53rd Annual Christmas Parade will be held in conjunction with Small Business Saturday on November 26th. Start the shopping season by supporting local businesses that create jobs, boost our economy, and preserve neighborhoods around our country.

11am Jaycee Christmas Parade wilmingtonjaycees.com
The Parade route beings at 5th and King Streets, and ends at Rodney Square. Children at the parade are encouraged to write a letter to Santa and drop it off when Santa passes along the parade route. (Children should provide their complete mailing address, including zip code, if they would like a reply.) The Wilmington Jaycees will work with Santa and his elves to make every effort to answer each letter.

12:30pm-1:30pm Photos with Santa at The Baby Grand, 818 N. Market Street *Bring your camera & take FREE photos with Santa!
Enjoy non-alcoholic drinks inside the Baby Grand *Cash Bar*

2pm & 8pm The Playhouse on Rodney Square Theatre: 
Broadway Christmas Wonderland
www.duponttheatre.com or 302.652.5577

12pm-2pm LIVE MUSIC
Enjoy live music at various Downtown locations TBD!

#ShopSmall this holiday season in Downtown, Wilmington

Enjoy great deals at the following businesses:

• ACT Generation, 715 N. Orange Street 2nd Floor – Shopping, food, music art from 8a-8p with vendors

• Al’s Sporting Good, 200 N. Market Street www.alssportinggoods.net – $10 off of $60 spent, $20 off of $110 spent. Not to be combined with other offers or sales. *print coupon below

• Cherné Altovise Jewelry, 316 N. Market Street www.chernealtovise.com - 20% off total purchase. Not to be combined with other offers or sales.

• Collars n Cuffs, 716 N. Market Street collarsncuffsonline.com – 20% off entire purchase, not to be combined with other offers.

• Delaware History Museum/African American History Museum - 50% off admission to Read House, the Delaware History Museum and the Jane & Littleton Mitchell Center for African American Heritage, not to be combined with other offers. 

• LaFate Gallery, 227 N. Market Street www.lafategallery.com - offering 40% Discount on Original Paintings and 25% on Limited Edition Prints.

• LOMA Coffee, 239 N. Market Street www.lomacoffee.com - Receive 10% off your purchase when you mention that you #shopsmall

City Announces Holiday Season Metered Parking Policy:

During the upcoming holiday season, metered parking will be free in Wilmington’s downtown business district and at the Riverfront during specific times of the day, beginning Friday, November 25, 2016, and running through January 1, 2017.

• Citizens and visitors to the City of Wilmington are reminded that paying for metered parking will only be required between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.

• From 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. the following morning, metered parking will be free.

• This free parking policy only applies to the downtown area from 2nd Street to 12th Street, and from French Street and Washington Street. The policy also applies to the entire Riverfront community.
http://bit.ly/2gaaGIJ

Theatre N is Back!

Downtown Wilmington is the place for great entertainment - including quality films.

As the News Journal reports - Theatre N is back and under new management:

The 221-seat art house theater will be run by newcomer The Mill, which operates a 12,000-square-foot co-working space on the fourth floor of the Nemours Building. (Theatre N is housed in the Nemours Building at 11th and Tatnall streets in downtown Wilmington.)

The Mill leases the theater from Buccini/Pollin Group and manages it.

Downtown Wilmington-based commercial film firm The Kitchen now markets and advertises the theater.

And Beverly Zimmerman, who ran Theatre N from its 2002 opening until Mayor Williams took office at the beginning of 2013, will return as a curator, selecting which first-run films will be screened.

Click Here for the new Theatre N website and here to connect on Facebook.

Come on out and enjoy great entertainment in Downtown Wilmington!

Marty

2016 Ladybug Music Festival - more than expected!

On July 21, thousands of people came out to attend the Ladybug Music Festival – and it seems that beyond the great variety of music, the delicious food, and the fashionable vendors, we experienced something more.

Early in the event people started commenting on how special the event felt, how good it was to see so many smiling faces, and how much healing seemed to be taking place in the crowd as hugs, high-fives, and fist-bumps flowed freely. 

Here’s just some of the feedback we’ve seen:

At this moment in time,  where we are bombarded with and obsessed with why communities can not work together across diverse backgrounds….and while we are constantly reminded how unsafe it is to wonder out into cities across America, this community sang a different song. Everyone came together and provided good clean fun,  harmony, food,  music and “therapy" if you will, for those dreary from the ills of social media reporting on all the tragedies here and around the world that are all to often wrong, misleading and altogether senseless nonetheless. 

I was reminded reminded last week that it is ok to relax and come together for a greater cause and I am eternally grateful to all of you for you leadership, sweat and kinship. 

May G-D bless you all for the things you do, and I personally thank you all for your support of our community. I am quite sure, the community at large recognizes how special this night has become here in the City of Wilmington. 

Mike Schwartz
2nd and LOMA

I walked a few blocks over to the fifth annual Ladybug Festival in Wilmington. While the music was inspiring (shout out to Mary Lambert, Caroline Rose, Nadjah Nicole and Nicole Zell who held my attention tonight), it was the crowd that won me over. It was one giant melting pot of race, age, sexual preference, body types, fashion sense, musical taste and background. And, guess what — for those few hours of the festival, everyone just enjoyed the small threads that brought us together, and united us.

-Bradford Wason

The Lady Bug Festival brings a mixture of raw talent, diversity and pure family fun to the streets of Wilmington.  Such a refreshing way to enjoy your fellow Wilmintonians.  Looking forward to next year already

-Ivan Thomas

I am so glad I was working at ladybug all night surrounded by thousands of people of every age race creed enjoying music and art and each other… Be active in your community, guys. Enjoy all that you can create and support through the arts, through being part of a community, and just respect and love each other. 

-Kerry Kristine

I was overwhelmed at the amount of talent both local and national that graced the stage as well as the smaller stages up and down market st. I would have never expected a festival such as this right here in Wilmington. I for one would definitely like to see more events like this in the immediate future.

-Lindsey Epps Tucker

Made me feel hopeful about the world - everyone was so joyful and friendly - and I was reminded of all the art and music in our city - a beautiful evening that lifts all of our spirits and brings us together.

-Noelle Picara

The ladybug festival was amazing. It was so exciting to see so many great women artist at once. I'm happy i was given this opportunity to be a performer. It has opened my eyes. This was an experiment that gave me the experience to say I'm ready for the next level! Nothing but up from here.

-Aziza Nailah

I seriously just could not stop thinking about the growth of the event and how incredible it was to see soooo so so many happy faces. Not a single bad vibe in the place! 

-Brianna Hansen

The Ladybug Festival offered all of us a glimpse of what we know we truly are – a city and a community filled with talent, diversity, and love.

I want to thank Gayle and Jeremy from Gable Music Ventures for organizing this truly special community gathering!

Marty

#BlackJobsMatter

Friends,

This Wednesday evening, the play #BlackJobsMatter, A Wilmington Experiment, will be performed at World Cafe Live at the Queen. I'll invite Professor Gregory Lloyd Morris to share about it:

Click Here to Reserve your tickets for FREE.

Here's more information:

#blackjobsmatter…a Wilmington experiment, is a one-act play that briefly examines the lives of unemployed blacks in the city of Wilmington, from three different perspectives. 

#blackjobsmatter…a Wilmington experiment is a movement born out of the desire to employ the over 9000+ unemployed black men in the City of Wilmington. The movement is based on three key areas:

1. The solution to the crime problem is not more cops. It is jobs.
2. The solution to better academic performance of inner city kids is not new schools or different teachers, it is a safe nurturing home so our kids can do their homework and get parental encouragement. Jobs bring the father back into the home and create that atmosphere.
3. The solution to balancing the city's budget is to get people off of welfare and onto the tax-paying rolls. Jobs do that.

 The overall result of these things is to restore respect for parents and for themselves.

WHEN: Wednesday, July 13, 2016 from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM (EDT) 

WHERE: Queen Theater - 500 N. Market st. , Wilmington, Delaware 19801 

I hope you will join me at this important event.

Marty

New CD Release Concert

We have some truly talented artists and musicians in Downtown Wilmington.

On July 22, you can experience the latest project from Kae Hock - a musician who is a significant part of the local music scene.

Here's a sample of some of his music:

Here's information about the show coming up at World Cafe Live at the Queen:

Click Here to get your tickets.

I hope you'll join me in enjoying great music produced by incredible artists.

Marty