Filed under: AL, Artwalk, B'ham social events, Birmingham Alabama, Birmingham art galleries, Birmingham, AL, Catalyst, Civic Engagement, Kickball, music, music venues, MySpace, Sidewalk, TechBirmingham, technology, urban issues, Verizon Wireless, Where to find Dre
There’s not a lot I can add to Artwalk coverage for the weekend. If you want to learn about the artists, they have a page. If you want to see the festival layout, there’s a page for that already too. They will still have chances to win the Stella scooter as well as chances to pick up Artwalk swag at their online store. And when I thought about putting up a list of bands, I was reminded of their MySpace page and the information available there. So I just figured I’d link to it all for you 
I could try to go into detail about the Urban Reversi game taking place on Saturday morning and starting at the Catalyst table before the crowd shows up. Click here to learn more about how it’s played and to see images from last year’s game during Sidewalk. The game is being played based on time, though it could also be an excuse to check out some of the artists while they get ready for Saturday’s crowds. Urban Reversi is a result of the $20,000 grant awarded to Catalyst and TechBirmingham last week by Verizon Wireless. The game is also being played as a demonstration in Brooklyn next week and making its second appearance at Sidewalk the weekend of September 22-24.
The festival has expanded their site to include First Avenue South. If you’re wondering how you’ll be able to get around from one end to the other, you’ll enjoy riding around on a trolley this evening. The rubber tire vehicle is going to provide attendees to ride through the streets and get a taste of what’s going on around the site. It is a locally owned vehicle and it is also available for rental as well. The atmosphere created by Artwalk in downtown should give an accurate glimpse into what would happen if people continue to invest in the urban areas of our city, including downtown and the other urban commercial districts throughout the city and the region.
After all of the excitement of Artwalk, you may want to get out and kick the ball around… say by playing Kickball in Avondale Park. The first official blow you socks off Kickball game in town starts up this Sunday in Avondale Park. We just wrote about the recent creation of the MySpace page for the group. Hopefully the crowd will show up and not only participate but support this activity. And just imagine what it could be like after the completion of the Railroad Reservation Park’s first stage.
This is an interesting time in the history of the city. The idea that there are so many things to do over the course of the weekend is incredible. Supporting all of these events is physically impossible, however it’s important to remember them whenever you run into someone that tells you that there’s nothing to do in town. The only way to change the perception is to get people to come out and take a look for themselves.
Enjoy the day.
Cheers.
Filed under: AL, Artwalk, Birmingham Alabama, Birmingham, AL, Catalyst, Nature, Photographs, Random shots, Sidewalk, TechBirmingham, technology, Verizon Wireless
The view from the top of the state
I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday weekend. We enjoyed ours on this end, though it ended with my knees bothering me much more than I had planned. Before anyone asks about what my doctor would think about what I did yesterday, he didn’t know. Hopefully, I won’t be that stiff when I go to see him either.
Bets and I decided to take a trip to the hiking trails at Cheaha State Park. For those of my friends that read this that are not familiar with Alabama, the state park is the highest point in the state. As a result, you get to enjoy some incredible views from the overlooks. It was my first rigorous hiking experience since moving to Alabama nearly two years ago. All I will say is that what began as a two hour hike became a day-long hike. The views were worth it, as is evidenced by the image at the top of the post. There are more images available by clicking here and visiting the photo gallery. If you feel so inclined, you may also want to post a comment saying what you did for the holiday. Or just laugh at the pictures of myself and Betsy dripping along the trail.
Mystery solved
Last week I posted about a “big check” presented to Catalyst at a press conference held by Verizon Wireless. Well, now the cat can be let out of the bag about the reason and planned use of the $20,000 grant. Click here to read more about the planned collaboration between Catalyst and TechBirmingham. This is a great accomplishment for both organizations and yet another way to distinguish Birmingham from other cities in the southeastern United States.
Fall festivals are getting really close
I’d like to thank the guys at Sidewalk for linking to my post containing detailed information for all of the competitive film and documentaries for this year’s festival on their media page. Click here if you have not viewed the post and take the opportunity to figure out just what you’ll see when the festival rolls around at the end of the month. Hopefully we’ll get a chance to give some of the Artwalk artists a similar treatment by Thursday afternoon, as that festival kicks off Friday evening.
Speaking of both of those festivals, I was reminded earlier today that in my constant rushing mode of doing things, I’d forgotten to do the drawing for the Artwalk and Sidewalk passes last week in conjunction with the Happy Hour for a Cause event. So, I’m promising right now that the winning numbers will be drawn this afternoon and posted late this evening. I’ll contact the winners via e-mail and hope that those that win the Artwalk passes get in touch with me before the fun starts Friday.
We’ll see you later this evening.
Cheers.
Filed under: AL, Architecture, Birmingham Alabama, Birmingham, AL, Blogging, Catalyst, Cities, EVDO, Photographs, Random shots, TechBirmingham, The Ticker, urban issues, Verizon Wireless
EVDO + Catalyst + TechBirmingham + Verizon Wireless = ?
As I prepare to start my weekend a day early, I figured I’d take a look at my friend Curtis’ Flickr account. Actually, I was checking mine to see if any comments had been made on images I’ve uploaded to my account. Don’t ask me why, I’m really not sure what made me do it. Anyway, I came across the following picture:
It’s Mr. Palmer, with Catalyst executive director Cherie Fields and board chair Elizabeth Dotts. Now, I was aware that Verizon Wireless was in town this morning to announce that they flipped the switch and now provide EVDO service in the metro Birmingham area. Click here if you don’t understand what those letters in the previous sentence mean. It’s interesting that the announcement was today since, according to Scott Allan, the “switch” got flipped on August 29th. Based on the big check they’re holding ($20,000!) and the title of the picture, it appears that Catalyst has been awarded funding from Verizon Wireless, but don’t ask me for what; I have no idea. I’m hopeful that Curtis, one of my fellow board members, or the newspaper may be able to share more about this soon. Needless to say, the presence of Verizon Wireless and TechBirmingham (Curtis) means something is about to happen in our ever growing tech scene.
UPDATE: Click here to learn exactly how the grant money will be used. It’s a great win for the community.
