june 2015 newsletter - downtown marquette...poster selected music on third returns for summer series...
TRANSCRIPT
Downtown Marquette
June 2015
Marquette Downtown Development Authority
203 South Front Street, Suite 1-B
Marquette, MI 49855 Phone: 906-228-9475
Fax: 906-228-6288
Mona Lang Executive Director
Becky Salmon Assistant Director
Tara Laase-McKinney Promotions & Events Coordinator
Lizzie Corser Marketing &
Administrative Assistant [email protected]
Myra Zyburt
Farmers Market Manager [email protected]
Jay Brady
Maintenance Coordinator
www.downtownmarquette.org
West Washington Streetscape Project Nearing Completion
Throughout the month of May, the 200 block of West Washington Street has undergone $201,402 in infrastructure repairs and improvements in ongoing efforts to facilitate pedestrian and vehicular safety and enhance streetscape aesthetics. The project includes complete removal and replacement of the curbing, removal of brick pavers, installation of stamped concrete and the addition of street trees. The DDA would like to thank Arrow Construction for their diligence in maintaining traffic flow and pedestrian access to businesses on both sides of Washington Street throughout the duration of the project. Although on-street parking is not available during this time, convenient parking is located in the Commons Parking Lot, with rear access available to many of the businesses
within the affected area. Further curb replacement and sidewalk repairs are being constructed in various locations on North Third Street, where obsolete curb cuts are being repurposed to allow for the addition of on-street parking spaces. Both projects are on schedule to be completed in early June.
Blueberry Festival Poster Selected
Music on Third Returns for Summer Series
The third Thursday of the month from June through August, Music on Third brings the community out onto the summer sidewalks of Marquette’s Downtown District to enjoy fresh, local music and visit the more than 100 unique shops and restaurants that line Third Street. Mark your calendar for the 2015 Music on Third dates: June 18, July 16 and August 20, and watch for the band line-up to be released at https://www.facebook.com/downtownmarquette.
The Marquette Downtown Development Authority is pleased to announce Melanie Marino as the winner of this year's Blueberry Festival Poster Contest. Melanie’s entry received the majority of votes based on a combination of an online poll, paper ballots and panel judging. She is a resident of Clinton Township, Michigan. Melanie describes her poster as "...a playful logo for the 2015 Downtown Marquette Blueberry Festival, overlooking the city of Marquette. The blueberry character is cheerful, because, who wouldn't be excited about their city being taken over by blueberries?" This winning entry will be utilized as the official poster for the fourteenth annual Blueberry Festival in Downtown Marquette on July 31 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
June 20-27 is Art Week in Marquette! Celebrating the community’s rich and diverse artistic culture, Art Week will feature exhibits, live performances, film screenings, artist receptions, studio tours, a bike tour, outdoor art installations, art demonstrations and street performers throughout the week.
Program Highlights • Saturday June 20: Beladinas at the
Downtown Marquette Farmers Market • Sunday, June 21: Acoustic brunch at the
Marquette Food Co-op • Monday, June 22: Open studio tours
(guided bike studio tour available to public) • Tuesday, June 23: Film screening and
Meet the Filmmaker with L.A. professor Suzan Pitt at Peter White Public Library
• Wednesday, June 24: DeVos Museum open house
• Thursday, June 25: “Art Stroll” downtown art receptions; City Band concert
• Friday, June 26: Suzan Pitt watercolor workshop at MACC
• Saturday, June 27: U.P. Poet Laureate reading at Marquette Food Co-op; live music at Ore Dock Brewing Co.; Trails Fest events; Shakespeare at the Downtown Marquette Farmers Market
Recurring Events: Street performances, Ephemeral Art Installation at the Marquette Regional History Center, art exhibits, Amy Conover’s labyrinth construction at Presque Isle, pop-up theatre, artist demonstrations and art displays at participating businesses.
If you are an artist or business and would like to participate or you have questions you can contact the Marquette Arts and Culture Center at 906-228-0472 or email [email protected]. Art Week is sponsored by the Marquette Downtown Development Authority and presented by the Marquette Arts and Culture Center.
Art Week: June 20-27
Congratulations! Congratulations to VAST Insurance Agency for being named by Auto-Owners Insurance as one of its Top 10 growth agencies in the Traverse City Region for 2014!
Music on Third
2015 Blueberry Festival Poster Contest Winner
200 Block of W. Washington St.
Page 2
Comments and Suggestions Welcome
This newsletter is brought to you by the Marquette Downtown Development Authority (DDA) in hopes of keeping you informed of progress, developments and changes within the Downtown District. In keeping downtown thriving, we hope to bring in new businesses and create a positive lasting impression of our city for visitors. We welcome any suggestions or comments, or if you have any news items you would like covered in future issues of Building Blocks please contact Becky Salmon at [email protected] or Marquette DDA, 203 S. Front St, Suite 1-B, Marquette, MI 49855. Visit www.downtownmarquette.org for more information on these articles.
The 16th season of the Downtown Marquette Farmers Market kicked off on Saturday, May 23, at the Marquette Commons with more than 50 vendors offering fresh, local produce, meats, plant starts, flowers, jams, syrup, body care products, handmade artisan goods and more. The market will run every Saturday through December 19 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Downtown Marquette Farmers Market in Full Swing
The first Thursday of the month between May and September, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., is
Girls Night Out in Downtown Marquette! Enjoy an evening of shopping, specials, dining and cocktails with your girlfriends. Look for the “Girls Night Out” poster on windows of participating businesses.
One of the most significant events in Marquette’s history was the great downtown fire of 1868. On Thursday, June 11, at 6:30 p.m., the 147th anniversary of the inferno, join Jim Koski for a walking tour of the areas that were affected. Find out where it first started, how much damage was caused and how that event shaped the downtown we know today. Meet at the Bell Tower at the end of Washington Street. $5 suggested donation. Please visit http://www.marquettehistory.org/ or call 906-226-3571 for more information.
June 6 • Double Up Food Bucks begins • Hoophouses for Health voucher distribution to
qualifying families • Transplant care and container gardening
demonstrations • Smart Gardening by Linda Winslow • Musicians: Jenn Copeman and Becca Roo
June 13 • World Wide Knit-in-Public Day, highlighting the fiber
available at the market. Knitters welcome • See a spinning wheel and a lamb • Musician: Chris Valenti
June 20 • Opening of Marquette Art Week • Maggie Barch and the Beladinas • Yoga at the market for International Yoga Day • Smart Gardening by Linda Winslow • Musicians: Travis Swanson and Harry South
June 27 • Shakespeare performances • Cooking demonstration • Musician: Chris Valenti
To increase accessibility to fresh, locally grown foods, the Downtown Marquette Farmers Market accepts credit/debit cards, Bridge Cards/SNAP/EBT, Project FRESH and Market FRESH. The market participates in the Fair Food Network’s Double Up Food Bucks program, under which Bridge Card holders can receive a dollar for dollar match of up to $20 a week in DUFB tokens to spend on fresh fruits and vegetables grown in Michigan. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/downtownmarquettefarmersartistsmarket or check the website www.mqtfarmersmarket.com for more information. Shop weekly for the ever changing variety of the freshest food in town. See you at the market!
Bike Downtown Marquette Photo Contest Winner Announced
Congratulations, Sarah Schober, winner of the "Bike Downtown Marquette" photo contest! Sarah’s photo garnered the highest level of Facebook engagement with her entry, earning her $100 in gift certificates from various bike shops throughout Downtown Marquette. Thank you to everyone who participated in the contest, showing how the community bikes in and around downtown in celebration of May as National Bike to Work Month!
Market Saturdays in Downtown Marquette
Saturdays are Market Saturdays in Downtown Marquette! In addition to the weekly Farmers Market, businesses throughout the downtown district are welcome to display their goods on the sidewalks from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays through October 10. For additional information, contact the DDA office at 906-228-9475 or email [email protected].
The Marquette Regional History Center Presents Walking Tour
Photo courtesy of the John M. Longyear Research Library
Marquette Attracts Millenial Job Seekers
Marquette has recently been named one of the best places in the Midwest for millennial job seekers, based on the consumer finance website NerdWallet, http://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/cities/economics/best-places-millennial-job-seekers-midwest-2015/. The determination was based on an analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, published May 19. Millennials are defined as the 18-34 age group, which represents an increasing percentage of Marquette’s population, based on Census Bureau statistics.
Celebrate Marquette’s Fourth of July
The Fourth of July is quickly approaching, and there is no shortage of patriotic opportunities to celebrate in the Marquette area! July 2-4: The Marquette County Exchange Club will host its 30th annual International Food Festival in Mattson Lower Harbor Park featuring food, refreshments and live entertainment daily. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marquette-County-Exchange-Club
July 4: The Marquette 4th of July Parade will take place along Washington Street beginning at 2 p.m. sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Marquette. At 9:30 p.m. boaters are invited to participate in the annual Marquette boat parade in Lower Harbor. Sponsored by the Fourth of July Fireworks Committee, the fireworks display will begin at dusk at Mattson Lower Harbor Park. A community-wide 50/50 drawing will be held to support the fireworks fund, with tickets available from any Rotary Club of Marquette, Marquette Rotary West or Fourth of July Fireworks Committee member now through Friday, July 3. The winning ticket will be announced on the final float in the parade. Proceeds from the 50/50 raffle sale will be used to establish an endowment fund to ensure sustainability of the fireworks for future years.
Bike Downtown Marquette Photo Contest Winner
Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper After garnering input from the community and discussing possible projects for the Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper (LQC) initiative, the DDA is partnering with the City of Marquette Community Development Department, the City of Marquette Arts & Culture Division and Northern Michigan University to implement some of the ideas that were generated. Projects include the creation of parklets, bike corrals, public art and public seating areas on North Third Street and are expected to be completed by Thursday, June 18. This project is made possible through a collaboration between the Michigan State University School of Planning, Design and Construction, the Michigan Association of Realtors and the Upper Peninsula Association of Realtors.