First Walk Of The New Year.....

Good thing we're allowed a glass of the grape during our gallery walks through the Arts & Design District.  We may need a bit of liquid warmth Saturday night for the IU North Carmel Arts and Design District Gallery Walk.  It's the first of 2012 and our first opportunity to see the new works in our gallery district.  Come early, dress warm....and if all else fails @CarmelBruce will treat everyone to a glass of Chardonnay to help raise our temps. Ok...we're kidding about that last part....sort of.  

Views From the Carmel International Arts Festival.

If you cannot see the slideshow please click HERE.

Arts and Design

It's that time of year again.  The temps are falling and once again the Carmel International Arts Festival will march into the Arts & Design District this weekend.  I'm no art officianado but I've always enjoyed watching the kickoff Saturday morning at 10:00 A.M.  The Chinese Dragon parade has been a highlight ever since the festival moved to 'Old Town.'  In fact this year I've volunteered my services as a dragon team member.  Given my relative height, if you see an extra hump in this year's dragon, you'll know it's me.  Food, drink, performing arts and all of the festivities will continue through 5:00 Saturday evening and 4:00 Sunday.  For a complete schedule you can see the Festival's web site. 

All That Jazz

A beautiful night under the stars and the great sounds of jazz musician Blair Clark and his band provided one very enjoyable evening in the Arts and Design District last night.  Jazz on the Monon was moved from Sundays to Saturdays this year and have been a big hit.  The A & DD has been teeming with people this Summer and while weekends have been busy, it's not been unusual to see great crowds on select weeknights as well.  There actually has been a plus to having so little rain over the past few months....

Greg Cooper, east Carmel Indiana 46033 homes for sale, real estate blog



Bottom's Up

The Art of Wine returns to the Arts and Design District again this evening and promises to be another taste opportunity for those of us unintentionally addicted to Yellow Tail.  From 5-9 you can stroll for one fee and have your glass filled with multiple wines from around the state and region.  We at the East Of Keystone editorial offices are proud to say we have nearly as many Art of Wine glasses as we do trinkets to various Fraternity events from one of the state's major universities many, eh... many years ago.  Here's the best advice we have for this event: GO EARLY.  The lines are shorter and supplies are more plentiful as well.  Oh, and if you're nice you can always look especially sober and hope for a really healthy pour....

Eat Your Heart Out Norman Rockwell

Can I digress for just a moment?  How in the world did it get to be the 4th of July weekend already?  At the risk of sounding like my grandfather Virgil...let's move forward.

It used to be Carmelfest was a nice little Hamilton County celebration for America's birthday.  Now it boasts a fireworks celebration that is actually bigger than that of Marion County and a weekend series of events that gives everyone a chance to participate and enjoy.  The Freedom Run is a little four miler on Saturday morning at 8:00 that is followed by a peewee run at 9:15.  Then on Sunday and Monday for starters there will be great entertainment at both the Gazebo and the new North Stage where there will be a Beach Party and an Americana musical set.  We've heard a rumor that Jeff Worrell will be demonstrating his Salsa skills Sunday at 3:00 on the North Stage during the Salsa Dance Demo.  We'd absolutely pay to see that.  The fireworks will start at 9:45 Monday night synched to music on B105.7.  Just prior to that, famed musician Mac McAnally will be performing on the North stage at 8:00.  Mac has been through central Indiana many times as a point man for none other than Jimmy Buffet.  He's a remarkable singer/songwriter and worth wading through the crowd to see.   One final note....if you have not yet done so, pick up a Spark Button and help support Carmelfest and the fireworks.  Hundreds of volunteers work tirelessly to put on this celebration...help them out by purchasing a Spark Button at merchants in the Arts and Design District or at the Farmer's Market Saturday morning.  Photo courtesy CF151/Photobucket

Coming Attraction: Jazz

Singer Monika Herzig will be on this stage tonight as it gets fully deployed in a couple of hours for Jazz on The Monon.  The Arts and Design District has moved their Jazz series to Saturday nights (insert enthusiastic applause here) and Monika will be our ice breaker after the rain washed out last Saturday night's festivities.  Monika has been known to offer everything from her interpretation of John Lennon's Imagine to Hoagy Carmichael's Georgia.  Weather - check.  Great Music - check.  Another wonderful summer night in Carmel's Arts and Design District -CHECK! 

Timing's Everything!

A BIG thanks and congrats to @carmelartdesign for tweaking Jazz on the Monon in 2011, moving it to Saturday nights from 6 to 9 p.m.  This will be yet another reason for us to gravitate to the Carmel Arts and Design District and enjoy the great restaurants, our fellow Hamilton County friends and terrific music.  This week it's acclaimed jazz musician Heather Ramsey as photographed by one of our favorite Indy area photographers, the highly talented Polina Osherov. Have I gotten enough plugs in here?  Of course not.  The only decision you'll have left is will it be Woody's, Bub's, Detour, Bazbeaux, Muldoon's or Donatellos...with a finish at Huddles perhaps?  I wonder if these establishments would consider letting me take a progressive dinner tour....probably not.  If she dresses like this photo tomorrow night, I may have to break out the tuxedo t shirt.  (photo courtesy Heather Ramsey/Mark Zuckerberg)
Greg Cooper, east Carmel Indiana 46033 homes for sale, real estate blog

Rock Recap

Sights and sounds from Saturday's Rock The District in Carmel, Indiana. Hey...if we could give you scratch and sniff you'd have the smells too.  If you can't see the video below of Atlanta's Yacht Rock Review - get it HERE.



If you can't see the slideshow below CLICK.

You Can't Drive 55

While it's only Monday, consider this a friendly reminder that this coming weekend will be a busy one across east Carmel and the Arts & Design District.  The Carmel Marathon Championship Weekend will be in full swing Saturday morning and yes, there will be street delays in east Carmel as well.  We'll post the exact course maps here by Friday and give you some times to be aware of for Saturday morning as far as when to expect some extra travel caution.  Not all of the road racing events will stretch beyond noon in east Carmel so we'll give you a summary by week's end as to when the busiest times will be east of Keystone Parkway. 

Party Time

The city's festivals will start early this Summer with next weekend being a big one in Carmel.  Not only will the Carmel Marathon Championship weekend be taking place but Rock The District will also be on tap for Saturday night June 11.  The Carmel Arts and Design District has a great line up of all types of music and you can get the full list of groups and activities HERE. Some subtle schedule changes have RTD a bit earlier in the Summer in 2011 and frankly we're liking it.  While I'm not overly familiar with Yacht Rock Review's work, this FREE event is always one our entire family enjoys taking in and we will again next weekend. The nice thing is this year it's at a time on the calendar when we're not in a mad dash to get ready for school starting, pack in end of Summer vacations, etc.  Note to Yacht Rock Reveiw.....no worries on my level of fandom.  I'm probably a bit out of your demo.  If for nothing else but a great bit of food, amosphere and people watching, you'll want to put RTD on your schedule for next Saturday night. 

Take A Walk

The unofficial start of Summer really blasts in this weekend.  While strolling the corner of 16th and Georgetown may not be your thing, a walk of a different kind may be just the way to start your Memorial Day holiday.  The Gallery Assocation is sponsoring a special race weekend event that will give you another chance to take in the recent changes in the orientation of stores in the Arts and Design District. Side note....I don't know how they did it so quickly but the multiple changes on the south east corner of Main Street and Rangeline were virutally seamless.  We're looking at this as a bit of a 'Gallery Walk mulligan' as rain dampened the evening on 5/14.  However you see it.....this would be a great way to relax and enjoy the kickoff to Memorial Day in Hamilton County.   Oh...and we're quite sure everyone will be appropriately clothed with a minimum of adult beverages consumed.  That's certainly not a promise you'll hear inside of Marion County this weekend...

........Take Your Talents To South.....Rangeline

If you happen to venture into the Arts and Design district tonight or in the future for that matter, a well advised stop at Soho Cafe and Gallery would certainly be in order.  Located at the back of the Mohawk Shopping Plaza, Soho backs up to the Monon and has a great feel both inside and out.  Thursday nights are open mic except for those of us who are talent challenged.  We'll just be content to sample the menu and support you who actually have a skill to display.  You can get the full Soho story on their new web site HERE.    Nice people...intriguing menu...growing gallery...great location.  Well worth the stop!