Boulder County Farmers' Market's season starts Saturday

Photo courtesy of the Boulder County Farmers' Market

Just south of the Pearl Street Mall (on 13th Street between Canyon Boulevard and Arapahoe Avenue), a flurry of activity is getting ready to happen this Saturday morning. At 8 a.m., the 2009 Boulder County Farmers' Market's 23rd season officially begins.

If you haven't experienced the market, you don't know what you are missing! Everything you find there is produced in Colorado - in fact, the vast majority of items are produced in Boulder County. (All vendors must produce what they sell.) From beef to dairy and fresh cut flowers to spices, herbs, wine and honey, the quality, selection and prices are unbeatable. The farmers are excited and eager to educate attendees and answer questions about their conventional, organic and sustainable growing practices. The atmosphere is lively and the setting (next to Central Park and the Boulder Creek) is ideal! In addition, there is a fantastic food court offering everything from tamales and gyros to pizza and Fast Eddie's Hot Dogs, not to mention some of the best ice cream in the state from Boulder Ice Cream.

The Boulder County Farmers' Market's 2009 season runs Saturdays from April 4 - November 7 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Wednesdays starting May 6 through October 7 from 4 - 8 p.m. From Denver, take Highway 36 west (which turns into 28th Street). Continue on 28th Street (north) and head west on either Canyon Boulevard, Walnut Street or Pearl Street to 13th Street. (Remember parking in city of Boulder parking structures (garages) in Downtown Boulder is always free on Saturdays and Sundays.)

For more information about the Boulder County Farmers' Market visit: BoulderFarmers.org. To watch a YouTube video, click here. For a complete list of events happening in Downtown Boulder visit: BoulderDowntown.com.

Celebrate Boulder Earth Hour

Help ClimateSmart Boulder and the World Wildlife Fund celebrate Boulder Earth Hour 2009. Tomorrow (Sat. 3/28) at 8:30 p.m., turn off all non-essential lighting for an hour. The city of Boulder will participate by turning off all non-essential lights in city-owned buildings and facilities. According the the city, if all Boulder households and businesses go dark for just one hour, carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by an estimated 18 metric tons (which is equal to an average household's (in Boulder) yearly carbon footprint).

To celebrate, Downtown Boulder's St Julien Hotel and Spa invites the community to join them from 8 - 10 p.m. for a soy-based candle-lit "Earth Happy Hour" featuring a performance from Phil Robinson. (The St Julien hopes one day to become a zero waste property. Currently, green practices at the hotel include the use of energy efficient lighting, programmable thermostats and eco-conscious cleaning products.)

For more information on Boulder Earth Hour, visit: BoulderEarthHour.com. For more about the St Julien Hotel and Spa, visit: Stjulien.com. Watch the Earth Hour Movie on YouTube here.

St. Patty’s Day in and around Downtown Boulder

Where will you find leprechauns, good luck and lots o’fun tomorrow? Well, if you are in and around Downtown Boulder, check out the Pearl Street Pub & Cellar. Located on the 1100 block of the Pearl Street Mall, the Pearl Street Pub & Cellar offers a lot for a dive bar. From games and rockin’ music, to familiar faces and tasty bar food, the Pub is a popular retreat for locals. In celebration of St. Patty’s day, the Pub will open at 11:30 a.m. Check out Mikey’s famous Corned Beef & Cabbage with potatoes for only $6.50! Other special include…

$3 Sawtooth and Avery IPA Draughts
$2.50 Bud and Bud Light Draughts
$3.25 Well drinks
$5.50 Car Bombs
$4 Shilalieghs

Later in the day, stop by the Spice of Life Event Center (5706 Arapahoe) where their Kitchen Cabinet is presenting a St. Patty’s Day Dinner. Tickets ($28) will be available at the door and include bottomless Avery Beer as well as passed Hors D’oeuvres (pan seared lamb meatballs & Irish marinated salmon), a main buffet (corned beef brisket, vegetarian shepard’s pie, Irish soda bread, endive & watercress salad, butter braised cabbage and more) and dessert (Irish cream chocolate mousse cake). Call today to reserve childcare (303.444.3452) that includes crafts and pizza for $5.

Other Downtown businesses hosting special St. Patty’s Day festivities include Conor O’Neills, West End Tavern, b . side Lounge, Boulder Theatre, 14th Street Bar & Grill. For complete listings of happenings in Downtown Boulder 365 days a year, visit BoulderDowntown.com!

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Downtown Community Exchange at Vectra Bank

Two Nights at Frasca with Guest Chef Nate Appleman

To some the A16 is the east-west motorway that links Naples to Canosa in Puglia, Italy. In San Francisco, A16 is the name of a restaurant inspired by the cuisine of southern Italy featuring a rustic menu including fresh pasta, house-butchered and house-cured meats and authentic Neapolitan pizza. A16's Executive Chef Nate Appleman’s cooking style has drawn national attention from publications including Food & Wine, Bon Appetit and Gourmet magazines. Appleman has also been nominated three times for the James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef Award.

On March 23 & 24, Chef Appleman will be in Downtown Boulder to prepare a four course menu including wine pairings and a signed copy of his cookbook (A16 Food + Wine) for $140 per person at Frasca Food and Wine on Pearl Street’s East End. Call 303.442.6966 for more information and reservations.

Frasca is the award-winning creation of Master Sommelier Bobby Stuckey and Chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson and is inspired by Friuli-Venezia Giulia, a sub-alpine region in northeast Italy. Frasca has received much national acclaim over the years including recent mentions in GQ and Food & Wine.

Read more about Frasca:

Food Arts (November 2008)
Bon Appetit (October 2008)
Food & Wine (September 2008)

Dear Mr. President...

Local artist Ashley Mask Harris is presenting a public art piece entitled, "Dear Mr. President..." where the artist functions as a secretary of sorts, complete with a typewriter and portable office space, allowing the passerby to dictate to her and then send letters to President Barak Obama.

"Dear Mr. President..." is being performed in eight cities across the country and the Boulder Book Store in Downtown Boulder was chosen by the artist based on the concept of "Third Space" or the many public places people can gather and put aside the concerns of home and work simply hang out. "The artwork is the experience: the opportunity for individuals to view the world and their place in it with different eyes," says Ms. Harris.

Join Ashely Mask Harris from noon to 4 p.m. this Saturday March 14 at the Boulder Book Store for this meeting of community and art.

Visit Ashley's Web Site

Sean Maher named Downtown Boulder's New Executive Director

Maher brings extensive experience to the position as an entrepreneur and former head of the Boulder Economic Council and the Small Business Development Center at the Chamber of Commerce. He is also a current member of the Downtown Boulder, Inc. board of directors and the Downtown Management Commission.

It was formally announced late yesterday afternoon that Sean Maher has been selected Executive Director of Downtown Boulder's Business Improvement District (BID). Working with the city of Boulder and the BID's non-profit partner, Downtown Boulder, Incorporated (DBI), the Downtown Boulder BID is leading a spirit of cooperation among property owners, businesses and the community by providing a range of enhanced management programs including maintenance, marketing, economic vitality and physical improvements. These program areas of the Downtown Boulder BID are designed to retain, expand and attract businesses and investment to improve the downtown environment.

"We were fortunate enough to have had some outstanding candidates apply for the position," said Downtown Boulder's BID Chairman, Jake Puzio. "Sean's experience from the small business sector as well as his familiarity with the Downtown Boulder community and his knowledge of city and county operations makes him an ideal choice to lead Downtown Boulder into the future and ensure the success of the BID." Added Cindy Ward, chair of DBI, "Sean is a smart business man and well respected within the Boulder community. We are thrilled that he has accepted the position and look forward to working with him to ensure Downtown Boulder's continued success as a premiere business and recreation destination."

Maher has been active in Boulder's business community since 1989. Most recently, he served as Director of the Boulder Economic Council where he co-founded the Boulder Innovation Center and launched Boulder's first business incentive program. Prior to the BEC, Maher headed the Small Business Development Center at the Chamber of Commerce. Before joining the Chamber, Maher brought the first Ben & Jerry's franchise stores to Colorado and founded a multi-unit retail business featuring gourmet foods made in the Rocky Mountains. He was also a partner in Terra Communications, a marketing communications firm serving national clients. Prior to his entrepreneurial ventures, Maher worked as a marketing consultant with Sterling-Rice Group.

He holds an Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Colorado and a marketing degree from the University of Montana. "I am honored and excited to join the Downtown Boulder team. Having been active as a downtown board member, volunteer and business owner for many years, I have a true passion for this place. I am grateful for the opportunity and look forward to getting down to business. 2009 will be a challenging year but there are many opportunities to keep downtown moving forward and make it even stronger in the future," said Maher.