“The Future of Food”

Since May, Friendly City Food Co-op has hosted one movie a month at Clementine Café themed around food. Movies start at 7pm, with an FCFC representative on hand starting at 6:30 to answer questions and help new members sign up.

Join Friendly City Food Co-op for the next movie in their summer movie series, the documentary “The Future of Food.”

Here are what some critics say about it:

From Sea to Shining Sea: Bob Anderson’s “American Landscapes” at Darrin-McHone Gallery

The Arts Council of the Valley presents “American Landscapes” by Bob Anderson to the Harrisonburg community. As part of First Fridays Downtown, the show opens on September 4th from 5-7pm at the Darrin-McHone Gallery in the Smith House at 311 South Main Street. There will be complimentary food and beverages for the public to enjoy as they savor the breath-taking landscapes of this accomplished painter.

Polished, Melanie Woodard’s Silver Bullet

Posted by Lisa N. Ha

Some people get balloons and a greeting card stuffed with cash when they graduate from high school. Or a trip to the beach, courtesy of Mom and Dad. Valley native Melanie Woodard received a copy of How to Start Your Own Business from her aunt – and she says it was just what she wanted.

Years later that how-to guide is finally getting use. This month Woodard will open her first business. Housed on West Water Street adjacent to the parking deck, Polished will specialize in sterling silver jewelry pieces that exemplify “modern, elegant and timeless” qualities. The shop will take up 620 square feet of a building being renovated to also accommodate a new men’s clothing store and studio and office space for DIGICO, a video production company.

Restaurants Form Downtown Dining Alliance; 5 New Dining Establishments to Open

HARRISONBURG —Taste of Downtown, the biannual restaurant showcase, is here again.  From August 18th through the 20th, downtown restaurants will create and offer multi-course meals that show off their culinary creativity; from Ethiopian spreads to Greek samplers to all-American cuisine.  These menus offer a wide choice of budget-friendly dining options in every setting from fine dining to burger-bar.

“Originally we had nine participating restaurants, and in one year, the event has grown to twelve restaurants” says promotions manager, Alexis Morehouse.  “With four new restaurants ready to open in the coming months, we expect to see Taste of Downtown become a significant regional event over the next few years”.

Encouraged by the success of Taste of Downtown, restaurant owners of downtown Harrisonburg united to form the Downtown Dining Alliance.  This group, led by Dave Miller of Dave’s Downtown Taverna, Jeremiah Jenkins of Clementine and Sean Pugh of the Joshua Wilton House, plans to address common concerns and work together on advertising initiatives to support the dining industry within the historic downtown district.  “We are encouraged that the restaurant owners work collaboratively to promote downtown as a dining destination” stated Eddie Bumbaugh, executive director of Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance, “This effort goes beyond common competitive thinking, and allows independent restaurant owners to benefit by working together”.

Menus and event details for Taste of Downtown can be found at www.downtownharrsionburg.org.

Taste of Downtown is here again. From August 18 through 20, downtown restaurants will offer multi-course meals that show off their culinary creativity, from Ethiopian spreads to Greek samplers to all-American cuisine. These menus offer a wide choice of budget-friendly dining options in every setting from fine dining to burger-bar.

“Originally we had nine participating restaurants, and in one year, the event has grown to twelve restaurants” says promotions manager Alexis Morehouse.  “With five new restaurants ready to open in the coming months [Beyond, Pennybacker's, Union Station, Local Grill and Chop House and Carribean restaurant Arepera Las Chamas] we expect to see Taste of Downtown become a significant regional event over the next few years.”

Taste of Downtown Returns August 18-20

See why downtown has earned the nickname “Restaurant Row.” Come one day (or all three!) for amazing meals at wallet-friendly prices. View the menu and prices below.

Secret Garden?

Posted by Lisa N. Ha:

This takes urban gardening to a new level.

I’ve noticed these planters in my neighborhood and downtown all summer, but haven’t found anyone who can tell me what they are (granted, I’ve only asked my neighbor Peter, and he didn’t know). The setup is the same: randomly placed vegetable or flower plants either in dirt or a brightly colored vessel with a watering pail nearby. My guess is that it’s some kind of social experiment to see if the community will nurture the plants or steal them. I’m sure someone in the blogosphere has a more definitive answer.

Here are some pictures I took from the backseat of my tandem bicycle:

Outside Massanutten Regional Library

Bruce Street near Merle Norman Cosmetics

West Bruce Street

Join Us for National Night Out Tomorrow

Please join us Tuesday August 4 for the 26th annual National Night Out, an event designed to reduce crime by strengthening police-community relationships. Meet members of the Harrisonburg Police Department in a relaxed, casual environment over free food from downtown restaurants.