Tea Time at Earth & Tea Café

When you walk into Earth and Tea Café in downtown Harrisonburg, you are immediately greeted with the aromas of spiced tea, delicious food, and a warm feeling brought about by the vibrant colors of the international décor. Aaram Millones, the owner of Earth and Tea Café, has a passion for tea and for being a small business owner in an ever-growing area.

Aaram Millones in front of the Earth & Tea Café on South Main Street.

Aaram moved to the United States from Peru 17 years ago with his family in search of more opportunities. Earth and Tea Café has been a part of downtown Harrisonburg for the past five years. Aaram worked in real estate for some time and wanted to do something with the money that he had saved. He had plans to travel and move to another country before he visited some tea shops and thought that it was a great concept and an even better business idea for Harrisonburg.

When asked about his future plans, Aaram responded with, “I always have the hope that I can grow more as a business owner and grow the shop and improve. I get excited when downtown also grows with other new businesses coming here. I like the feeling of being a part of something – in this case, being a part of downtown Harrisonburg as a business owner and also as a person who lives and hangs out downtown.”

The tea menu is extensive, with 40 teas from around the world. Aaram purchases the tea from a supplier in Germany, who sources blended varieties from China, Taiwan, Nepal, India, and North and South Africa. The tea selections have been rotated three times since Earth and Tea Café opened as a way to give customers new selections to enjoy. One of the most popular teas, the Masala Chai, is blended right in the café with spices and tea purchased by Aaram from a local shop. For $3, you can get a small pot of delicious tea, which usually serves 2 people, and for $5, you can get a large pot, which usually serves 4 people.

These beautiful tea canisters line the back wall of the cafe and hold the 40 different tea selections that are offered.

Earth and Tea Café also has delicious soups, salads, wraps, tapas, sandwiches, and desserts offered daily. The menu has changed at least six times and is in the process of being revised again in order to offer new dishes while keeping  customer favorites, such as the pear sandwich with gorgonzola and prosciutto, the portobello mushroom sandwich with cheddar cheese, mango salad, zebra cake, and a creamy caramel coffee cake.

Aaram’s love for downtown Harrisonburg is truly contagious. “For all the people who want to experience Harrisonburg, they definitely should try to come downtown. There are different menus that offer teas and beers from around the world, a lot of local musicians, and restaurants with local food. I feel like we are all a part of a big family downtown and we share the same concept of making every person feel welcome and a part of this community. We’re not a big chain; we’re business owners who decided to stay in Harrisonburg. We are a part of this city and we want everyone who lives here or visits here to have a great experience downtown.”

The international flair and warm colors make the café an inviting place to study, enjoy a meal, or just hang out with friends.

With the weekend quickly approaching, Aaram and I both encourage you to come downtown to check out everything that the area has to offer. Downtown Harrisonburg is full of businesses that offer local and international products and foods. So step out into the community, out of your comfort zone, explore a little, and do downtown!

Kerri DeVries is the Visual + Social Media Intern for Spring 2012. She is a senior Media Arts & Design and Corporate Communications double major at James Madison University.

Super Gr8 encore this Thursday!

This past November marked the second annual Super Gr8 Film Festival, founded by Paul Somers and Tim Estep, featuring films by local filmmakers, at Court Square Theater. Super Gr8 doesn’t just refer to how fantastic the films are, but also the Super 8 style in which they were shot. Super 8 films are shot in the 8mm format popularized in the late 1960s and 1970s.  If you’re like me, that may not mean much to you, but one look at a Super 8 film and you’re instantly reminded of old home movies… or maybe just the opening scenes of “The Wonder Years”. Regardless, the nostalgic style of the Super 8 film received mainstream attention recently with the major box office film “Super 8” released in Summer 2011.

The Super Gr8 Film Festival first hit Harrisonburg in 2010 with one night of 17 black and white Super 8 films. In November of 2011, Super Gr8 came back again, this time expanding to 46 three to four minute films over two nights- one night of black and white films and the other of color films. The festival was so popular that tomorrow night, Thursday, January 26^th, the Super Gr8 Film Festival will be back for an encore at Court Square Theater thanks to the help of one of the Super Gr8 team members, Randall A. See. Doors open at 6:30 pm for the 7 o’clock showing with a small suggested donation upon entry.  All of the films will be shown on this one night, with black and white films showing first, followed by an intermission and then the color films. I can’t believe I missed Super Gr8 the first time around in November (especially the film by Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance’s own Nicole Martorana), but I will definitely be catching the encore tomorrow night. In the meantime, I caught up with the two co-founders, Paul Somers and Tim Estep.

Chatting with Paul and Tim gave me some great insight into the creation of the Super Gr8 Film Festival. Paul got into film and cameras at a young age recording skateboarding stunts. While always a camera and film enthusiast, he didn’t discover the Super 8 format until he came across an old camera in a middle school library while teaching in North Carolina. Tim, on the other hand, began experimenting with Super 8 film as a kid about 25 years ago, but became even more familiar with the format after attending film school.

Since most people don’t have a Super 8 camera lying around, at least not one in working condition, one of the biggest initial challenges was coming up with enough cameras for the participants. Paul and Tim scoured thrift stores and eBay, and along with the help of a particularly handy friend, got them back into working condition. They also provided film festival participants, most with no film experience, with hands-on instruction on how to operate the Super 8 cameras. Paul pointed out that the Super 8 format, at the time of its invention, was marketed as an easy-to-use camera for families, so it isn’t a terribly complicated medium once you get the hang of it.

Paul noted one of the most difficult aspects of the medium is the fact that participants only use one cartridge and there are no edits, so all the scenes have to be filmed in the correct sequence from the get-go. While initially a challenge, Paul described the format as “a haiku, you’re limited in so many ways” but those limits force you to boil everything down to the true essence of the project.

After speaking with Paul and Tim, I really got a feel for how much the festival has grown in just one year, more than doubling from the original 17 entries they featured at the first festival. Paul described the need to reach out to people last year versus this year’s outpouring of support and individuals wanting to get involved. This year, Pro8mm, a company dedicated to the Super 8 medium, stepped in to do the film processing for Paul and Tim at a discounted rate. The company, known for their work with Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and J.J. Abrams on the film “Super 8,” even came to Harrisonburg to see the Super Gr8 Film Festival in action and wrote about the experience on their blog.  With the festival growing at such an astounding rate, I was curious if Paul and Tim planned to continue the Super Gr8 Film Festival next year, to which Paul responded quickly with a resounding “definitely.”

Super Gr8 co-founders Paul Somers and Tim Estep

The biggest thing I took away from meeting with Paul and Tim was their passion for our community. Tim spoke of the exciting direction Harrisonburg is going in artistically, and I have to say I agree. The Super Gr8 Film Festival’s strength lies in the fact that it involves the community, not only on the level of viewing art, but in the actual creation stage. Super Gr8 serves as a catalyst, sparking locals’ untapped artistic talents. Whether it’s the filmmakers, actors, musicians, makeup artists, or the audience, Super Gr8 was able to unite hundreds of people in our community in something Paul described as “a web of committed and interested individuals.” On their website, they state that the mission of the Super Gr8 Film Festival is “to bring a community together through film” and they certainly succeeded.

I know I’ll be at the encore showing of Super Gr8 tomorrow night; I hope you will be too!

Katina Stevenson is the Promotions Intern for Spring 2012. She is a senior Communication Studies major with a concentration in Public Relations at James Madison University.

A hidden gem of downtown: Arepera Las Chamas

Arepera Las Chamas. Photo: Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance archives.

Recently, I was in charge of planning a downtown lunch for myself and 10 other JMU students.  With over 25 restaurants located in downtown Harrisonburg, there were plenty of options for me to choose from.  I was looking for a unique downtown eatery that may not be as prominent to JMU students as other downtown hotspots.  Arepera Las Chamas was exactly that.

This hidden gem immediately enticed my group with the delicious smells of South American food.  I was very impressed by the friendly service, clean facilities, and the authentic menu.  Las Chamas’s extensive food options provided everyone in the group with a meal that matched their preference.  I ordered a delicious corn wrap filled with beef, egg, yellow plantains, and other veggies,  topped off with a special zesty sauce.  The menu items are written in Spanish, but the descriptions are in English.  This did not faze my group at all, as they embraced the originality of these interesting choices by all ordering a different item.  You do not have to be an adventurous eater in order to visit Las Chamas; they offer salads and wraps and other familiar meals in addition to their Caribbean and Venezuelan specialities.

My hearty corn wrap  satisfied both my stomach and my wallet; my meal filled me up while costing me less than $10!  At the end of the meal, I received many thanks from my group for introducing them to an exciting and new downtown restaurant.  Everyone was as impressed as I was by Las Chamas’s atmosphere, service, and food.

If you are a downtown restaurant enthusiast looking to expand your dietary repertoire, I strongly suggest you make Las Chamas your next stop!

Arepera Las Chamas is located at 50 South Mason Street in downtown Harrisonburg. More information is available here.

Conor Kiely was the Organizational Management Intern in the fall of 2011. He is a senior Psychology major at James Madison University.

Meet Kerri!

Hi! My name is Kerri DeVries and I am a senior Media Arts and Design major and Studio Art minor at James Madison University. I have held two prior internships, one as a social media intern in Virginia and one as a marketing intern in Maryland. I am excited to be the Visual & Social Media Intern for Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance this spring.

I spent a month this past summer in Urbino, Italy with a group of students from JMU and other universities from around the United States and Canada. We learned about video editing and production, photography, feature writing, how to use a language translator, and how to effectively combine all of these elements to create a great story.

I wanted to be an HDR intern because of my love for downtown Harrisonburg. This area has so much to offer and is adding more events and new businesses and restaurants each year.  I especially hope to help university students and Harrisonburg residents learn about the downtown area so that they can take advantage of it even more.

I plan to dedicate my Friday column to giving students and residents insight into all of the exciting opportunities in downtown Harrisonburg! Through multimedia posts over the next four months, I will use my column to feature businesses, restaurants, and events taking place downtown. I hope that this will give the community a better idea of what is happening each week to get them out and active in the Harrisonburg community.

Meet Katina!

Hello Downtown Enthusiasts,

My name is Katina Stevenson and I am the Spring Promotions Intern with Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance. I am a Senior at James Madison University majoring in Communication Studies with a concentration in Public Relations. That means I love meeting people and communicating in every possible medium, including blogging! I am originally from Virginia Beach, and while I will always be a beach bum at heart, I absolutely love exploring the natural beauty of this area. As a Senior, I’ve had some time to get acquainted with our wonderful community and become familiar with a lot of what downtown Harrisonburg has to offer, but I know there is more to discover. This spring, I’m excited to continue to explore with all of you. My stories and posts will keep you updated on upcoming attractions and  in the know about local businesses and vendors.

This spring, I will be writing a column on Wednesdays about one of my favorite things downtown has to offer- arts and entertainment! Every week, I will share with you an experience I had, or will have, downtown in the realm of art, music, or anything and everything else that can entertain. Our downtown is certainly a thriving art and music scene and there is rarely a shortage of things to do.  On any given day of the week, there are a number of attractions, whether it be salsa dancing at the Artful Dodger, live music at Clementine, a DJ at the Blue Nile, or an exhibit at the Virginia Quilt Museum. I am especially excited to cover our thriving downtown music scene. It is always a treat to experience a downtown show, and I’m especially excited about one of my favorite downtown events- MACRoCk.

In addition to music, I am a lover of all things fashion and I have a passion, others call it an obsession, for scouring downtown for the latest deals. My column is arts and entertainment, and in my mind everything offered by Mint, the Yellow Button, Duo, Ten Thousand Villages, the Laughing Dog, James McHone Jewelry, and Polished, Inc certainly fits under that “art” category!

One of the best things about our community is the relationships that are formed with other locals, and in this spirit, I want to hear from you! I encourage you to comment about your experiences as well as suggest events and aspects of downtown that you would like to see featured. I’m excited to get started,  so come back soon and remember, “Do Downtown!”

Ask Eddie: What major attractions have contributed to downtown’s ongoing revitalization?

Downtown Harrisonburg is extremely fortunate to have many businesses and services that draw people to downtown. The most visible attraction is the dramatic growth in the number of restaurants/eateries and retail specialty shops, now numbering over 25 and 40 respectively. Churches, non-profits, and government agencies also bring a large number of people to downtown.

Other major attractions include the Massanutten Regional Library with over 100,000 visitors annually, the Explore More Discovery Museum with more than 60,000 visitors this year representing over 100 Virginia municipalities and 42 different states, the Harrisonburg Visitor Center with approximately 50,000 visitors from almost every state and many foreign countries, and the Virginia Quilt Museum with approximately 5,000 visitors from a majority of the states and over 20 countries.

All these great businesses and services give people not only many reasons to shop, dine, and visit downtown, but they also add to the quality of life of the people who live and work in or near downtown.

Eddie Bumbaugh is the Executive Director for Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance.

Looking for some last minute gift ideas?

Are you scrambling for some great last minute gifts? Then come downtown for a variety of offerings sure to fit any taste and budget!

For those with discerning taste…

Photo Courtesy of Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance archives

Downtown Wine & Gourmet – Regional & imported wine, craft beers, gourmet foods

Polished – Modern, vintage, and antique sterling silver jewelry

James McHone Jewelry – Antique and estate jewelry

Merle Norman Cosmetics & Imago Day Spa – Full-service salon, beauty products, jewelry, and art

For the music aficionado…

Photo courtesy of Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance archives

Downtown Music 34 – Instruments and music lessons, private party rentals

Whitesel Music – Pianos and organs, sound systems

Shen-Valley Band Instruments Service – Instruments

Wonder Records – Eclectic selection of vinyl records

Cosmic Debris – Vinyl LPs and 45s, CDs, cassettes, movies, and memorabilia

For the artist in your life…

Photo courtesy of Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance archives

Oasis Fine Art & Craft – Original fine art and craft items by Shenandoah Valley artisans

Court Square Theater – Independent theater for film, music, dance, and theater

For documenting all of your holiday memories…

Photo courtesy of Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance archives

Gitchell’s Photography – Professional photography services, studio and on-location portraits

Glen’s Fair Price Store – Cameras and accessories

For the outdoors enthusiast…

Photo courtesy of Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance archives

The Runner’s Corner – Sports clothing and accessories

Shenandoah Bicycle Company – Bicycles and cyclist clothing and accessories

For unique finds…

Photo courtesy of Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance archives

The Lady Jane – Vintage and antique furniture, lighting, linens, porcelain, jewelry, and gifts

Laughing Dog T-Shirts & Gifts – Made in the USA & Fair Trade handcrafted jewelry & artisan gifts

A Touch of the Earth – Handmade jewelry, gifts, and clothing

For the kid and kid-at-heart…

Photo courtesy of Katie George

Explore More Discovery Museum – Children’s museum with membership options and special classes

Dragonflies Toys – Whimsical and educational children’s toys

Wishing you happy shopping and happy holidays!

Nicole Martorana is the Promotions Manager for Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance.

First Night 2012 Buttons Go On Sale Today!

The countdown to this year’s First Night is very exciting for me and I believe that the 19th First Night Harrisonburg will continue the tradition of success from previous years.

This year, we are fortunate to have dedicated volunteers with warm and welcoming hearts and a wide variety of new and returning programs. Together, this creates a winning combination for our community.

Prior to becoming involved in the planning of First Night, it never occurred to me how much behind-the-scenes work and commitment goes into creating this event. I am particularly impressed with the many donors and gifts-in-kind that assist with making First Night successful. Many businesses and individuals in the Harrisonburg and Rockingham County community have stepped up to contribute funds and services that will make this year’s First Night a true success.

I am also pleased to announce that First Night buttons go on sale today! Admission to all First Night venues, performances, and activities requires the purchase of a button. Presale buttons are $6.00 each. Buttons will also be available for $8.00 each, starting at 5:00 pm on the night of the event, at the offices of the Ritchie Law Firm at 71 Court Square in downtown Harrisonburg.

Pre-sale buttons can be purchased at the following locations:

• Daily News-Record
• Summit Community Bank
• Harrisonburg Tourism in the Hardesty-Higgins House
• Massanutten Regional Library
• Downtown Books
• Downtown Music 34
• Friendly City Food Co-op
• Glen’s Fair Price Store
• Red Front Supermarket
• Massanutten Resort

I invite you to visit our website, www.firstnightharrisonburg.com, to see details of this year’s program, schedule, and other event details.

I’ll look forward to seeing you at First Night Harrisonburg 2012!

Terry Burkhalter is the Executive Director of First Night 2012.

The First Night 2012 logo was designed by Rob Musser of Sidecar Studio.

 

 

 

Shop Til You Drop

Shopping locally for holiday gifts will be front and center tonight, Friday, December 16, in downtown Harrisonburg with a new retail event, Shop Til You Drop. With 17 participating downtown businesses staying open until 10:00 pm, customers will have the chance to shop late and enjoy festive treats, special sales, and plenty of holiday cheer.

The event, organized by Anna Melton Pelletier of the urban-mod shop Mint, will feature merchants throughout downtown. Modeled after the success of the First Fridays art walks during the summer, participating locations will offer a chance to mingle in the downtown community and enjoy holiday treats while shopping. “First Fridays in the spring and summer are so much fun,” says Anna. “Why not have a Holiday Friday? I think Shop Til You Drop is another way to show Harrisonburg residents how many wonderful shops there are downtown.”

Anna, who opened Mint in the spring of 2011, grew up in Old Town and after moving back to Harrisonburg several years ago, knew she wanted to own a shop downtown. “There is a growing downtown business community and everyone tries to support each other,” says Anna. “It’s a very positive atmosphere!”

In this spirit of collaboration, Anna first got the idea for Shop Til You Drop when Valerie Weaver of Ten Thousand Villages struck up a conversation with her about holiday events in other Virginia communities. If enough businesses were able to get involved in a shopping event in Harrisonburg and offer holiday specials, Anna thought, it would draw more shoppers downtown. As she points out, “Who doesn’t love cookies and a sale?”

And get other businesses involved, she did. Anna coordinated with 17 downtown merchants to keep their doors open a bit later in the name of holiday cheer and more convenience for shoppers during a hectic season, where there are often too many things to shop for and not enough time in which to shop for them. After talking with the other businesses about participating, Anna also asked local artist Daniel Suter to design the promotional poster for the event.

The businesses participating in tonight’s event are:

·        Mint
·         Dragonflies Toys
·         Wonder and Wonder Records
·         The Yellow Button
·         Duo
·         You Made It!
·         Ten Thousand Villages
·         The Lady Jane
·         Laughing Dog T-Shirts and Gifts
·         A Touch of the Earth
·         Midtowne Market
·         Friendly City Food Co-op
·         James McHone Jewelry
·         Polished
·         All Things Virginia
·         Oasis Fine Art and Craft
·         Downtown Wine & Gourmet

Shop Til You Drop is not only an invitation for shoppers to come downtown and buy their holiday gifts in a festive environment, but it is also a celebration of the diversity of unique, local businesses. “There are so many wonderful businesses downtown,” observes Anna.  “In order for us all to grow, we need the support of the community. Having events like Shop Til You Drop helps to create more awareness of all that downtown offers!”

For more information, please visit the Facebook event page or call Anna at (540) 434-6468.

Nicole Martorana is the Promotions Manager for Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance.

A Harrisonburg Holiday

As my internship here at Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance comes to a close, I can’t help but reminisce about the experiences I’ve had here in the past four months. From volunteering at our many events to doing interviews with business owners for blog posts, I have really gotten to know the community of Harrisonburg and seen what a vibrant and tight-knit community it is. And I’ve come to fully realize how much I love being a part of this town. So that is why on Friday, I was so happy to spend one of my last days as an HDR intern fully immersed in community spirit at the Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting Ceremony.

By 2:00 pm, there were already lawn chairs lining the sidewalks of Main Street, as people staked out the best parade-viewing locations. The window displays of our downtown merchants added exuberant festivity to the downtown scene and, decked out with snowmen galore, twinkling lights, ornaments, and Christmas trees, bows, and wreaths, the view was picture perfect. As the sun went down, community members by the thousands came out, crowding the streets of downtown with anticipation and excitement.

HDR Special Events Manager Kim Kirk and I could not pass up the opportunity to partake in pre-parade fun. Bundled up, we took a stroll through downtown and made a quick stop at The Coffee Truck, operated by Evan Butterfield, for something warm to drink. Equipped with a ginger caramel steamer, a frothy milk and espresso drink flavored with pieces of real, freshly-grated ginger, we were ready for a carriage ride offered by Classic Carriage. With prime seating on the carriage next to the driver, Terry Burkhalter, I was able to get the full view of downtown. And with the cool wind on my face and the glow of holiday lights flashing before my eyes, I felt an immediate sense of spiritedness and town pride.  When the carriage ride sadly came to a close, we were off to decorate HDR’s downtown float and begin the parade.

The parade was far more of a spectacle than I had imagined, an event to capture the imaginations of children and bring out the child-like spirit in the adults watching, as well. I saw people of all ages, people who had come from all over Virginia, and many of my college professors and classmates, all of whom had come out to celebrate this annual event. The parade with filled with music from the JMU Marching Royal Dukes and the high school marching bands of the area. I saw the talents of many local groups: unicyclists, jump-ropers, tap dancers, fire twirlers, and roller-derby team members.  I saw a flurry of creative snowmen costumes and statues made from every material possible (even one made from concrete blocks), and most importantly, I saw the thousands of faces of parade watchers glowing with fascination.

Following the appearance by the big man in red at the parade’s finale, the town gathered for the Tree Lighting Ceremony, conducted by Mayor Baugh. After the ceremony was an absolutely amazing presentation by the talented JMU Marching Royal Dukes and color guard in front of the beautifully lit courthouse. It was a concert I am glad I did not miss.

Thinking over the evening’s festivities, I was so glad to have experienced this event with the community and the Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance staff I have come to know so well this semester. I could not have imagined a better way to spend my last Friday as an HDR intern and also my last Christmas as a JMU student.

I want to say thank you to the business owners who have allowed me to interview them and feature them on this blog, to those who have read my posts these last few months, and, of course, to HDR for giving me this opportunity.

Happy Holidays everyone and don’t forget to celebrate the New Year in downtown at First Night!

Katie George is the Promotions Intern for fall of 2011. She is a senior Media Arts & Design major at James Madison University.

All photographs © 2011 Katie George