Small Business Saturday is going to be incredible!

Our Downtown community is gearing up for a truly impressive Small Business Saturday on November 28.

The Wilmington Jaycee's Christmas Parade starts at 11:00, followed immediately by photos with Santa at the Grand Opera House.

Throughout the afternoon, you'll have a chance to enjoy shopping at a variety of businesses with live music as well as great productions at The Grand and The Playhouse Theatre.

And, Gable Music Ventures is holding Wilmo Rock Circus at World Cafe Live at the Queen from 5:30 until 1:00 in the morning! This event features 15 bands from all over the East Coast.

Bring your family and friends out for a great day of fun, music, entertainment, food, and shopping!

Marty

Here's a look (and listen) at Wilmo Wednesdays

Earlier this year, our friends at Gable Music Ventures and World Cafe Live at the Queen put together Wilmo Wednesdays - a weekly showcase of truly impressive talent from all over the region.

Hosted by the inspiring and very funny Melissa Bernard, Wilmo Wednesdays feature everything from R&B to electronica to spoken word to folk to rock to everything in between.

Here's a sample of just some of the musicians who have performed in recent weeks:

Did I mention that there's no cover charge for Wilmo Wednesday and that these are all-ages shows? 

Click here for more information about Wilmo Wednesdays at World Cafe Live at the Queen.

I hope you will join me at this and all of the other great things happening in Downtown Wilmington!

Marty

Working together to improve Downtown Wilmington

We have some really impressive friends and partners in our Downtown Wilmington community.

Several people from JP Morgan Chase recently joined us in painting light posts downtown.

We are fortunate to have so many quality people who live and work in our city who care for our neighborhoods and take pride in the area.

The next time you see someone from JP Morgan Chase, please let them know how much you appreciate their dedication to our city.

Marty

Delaware Today Magazine Calls Wilmington Cool

Delaware Today Magazine just published a great story on Downtown Wilmington:

The Birth of Cool: Wilmington Grows in Popularity

Here's a couple of excerpts:

singer-songwriter Jonatha Brooke played at the groundbreaking of the World Cafe Live at the Queen—in the middle of Market Street, in the middle of a workday, with hundreds of very excited people gathered ’round. It seemed to me that Wilmington had crossed some threshold of cool.

...

Downtown Wilmington now has the coffee shops and music, and plenty of people—urbane locals and newcomers have caught on—in numbers sufficient to support even more new housing. By the end of the year, BPG will have created well over 1,000 units, with more on the way soon, and it aims to attract five new restaurants downtown over the next 12 months.

You can read the entire piece here.

I am thrilled with the public recognition we're getting in Downtown Wilmington - a cool place for dining, entertainment and living.

Marty

TEDxWilmington

Downtown Wilmington is hosting more and more events centered around ideas, innovation, and technology.

Next week, we get to experience TEDxWilmington.

TEDxWilmington has grown from a once a year event to include several TEDxWilmingtonSalons over the course of the year. The Annual TEDxWilmington Conference will be held on Wednesday, October 28, 2015 at the World Cafe Live at the Queen.  We have invited creators, catalysts, entrepreneurs, artists, technologists, designers, scientists, thinkers and doers to share at this all day conference what they are most passionate about - positive ideas for the world and Delaware.

Click Here to learn more and reserve your place.

I hope you can make it!

Marty