Greensboro Daily Photo

Aviation

Greensboro has so many aviation businesses and opportunities above and beyond PTI airport and the major carriers. As examples, Honda Jet Aircraft Company and Fed Ex are located here. Terosphere Aviation Services and NexGA Aircraft, and Carolina Aircraft are here, too. GTCC even has an aviation center with degrees in avionics, management, and systems technology. There is a flight school and you can obtain airframe and power plant certificates. GTCC started their first aviation program in 1969. The T.H. Davis Aviation Center was founded in 1991 on land the Piedmont Triad Aviation Authority owns. If someone in your life is interested in aviation as a career, their options are only a google search away.

It wasn't entirely clear whose carrier we photographed a couple of weeks ago when we were visiting the airport. The photo was taken from West Market Street. Remarkably, planes are this close when driving along the western side of the county. Driving the perimeter of the airport is a fun venture for a day off.

The Red Collection

In the 1990s, the Red Collection home-goods, consignment store was located on Merritt Drive. Next, this family-owned business moved a couple of miles down the road to Holden Road. Their consignment model has been so successful that they opened a second location on Mill Road just north of town. At over 30,000 sq. ft, the Mill St. location is twice the size of the other one. Red Collection resells everything from jewelry to couches to artificial Christmas trees. If you plan to start selling, please note, you need to take items to be evaluated about three months prior to the season. As an example, they stopped accepting Christmas consignments on October 14th. 

Today's photo of the Mill St.store was taken from the parking lot of nearby Starbuck's. It was late afternoon, a time when colors fade. There is a certain calmness and beauty to a street scene at dusk when colors are muted, in the fall, when the leaves are gone, and at a time when there is no traffic on the street.

If you read about the Tiny REUSE house truck yesterday, you will appreciate the difference in square footage, one at 30,000 sq. ft. and the other at 98 sq. ft!  However, both venues share the same mission of reusing items and keeping them out of landfills. This holiday season, as you are looking for gifts, don't rule out consigned, up- and recycled items.

Inside the 98 Sq. Ft. REUSE TRUCK

Yesterday, we shared the exterior of the REUSE truck that was parked outside of Reconsidered Goods this past weekend. A 98 sq. ft U-Haul style moving van was repurposed into a living and working space for the creative duo that designed and built it. Here, you see the bunk beds in the back and the kitchen area on the left. Between the kitchen and a desk area is a bathroom with a composting toilet. Items like  coffee grounds are placed in the toilet. The closet space in on the right.

Tiny, mobile homes that function dually as working and living space are definitely the way of the 21st century. Alex Eaves and Deek Diedricksen are from Massachusetts, but they are traveling the country sharing their work, firsthand with schools and places committed to reducing consumption and reusing/repurposing items because, as Alex reminds us, you can't recycle the planet. Reconsidered Goods hopes to bring Alex back in May to share his documentary with us. Fingers crossed!

Imagine, if you only had 98 sq. ft. of living space and you were on the go, what would you keep? 

REUSE Tiny House

The REUSE Tiny House came to Greensboro this past weekend. It was parked at Reconsidered Goods on Patterson Drive. Virtually everything in the 98 square feet of space has been recycled or up-cycled. The vehicle was originally a moving van. Alex Eaves and Deek Diedricksen travel in the van to promote their upcoming documentary film. While the other side of their mobile home has a window in the middle, this side in the photo does not, because they use the side of the vehicle as a screen for showing their documentary.

The items outside are t-shirts, handmade bracelets, and other items for sale to help fund their documentary film making. They also have informational pamphlets, in case visitors are interested in learning more about their Box Truck and all that they have recycled. The mission of Alex and Deek is aligned with that of Reconsidered Goods and Saturday's customers really enjoyed seeing and dreaming about the tiny house lifestyle. If you want more information on the truck and upcoming documentary, visit boxtruckfilm.com. If you want to more up-cycling and recycling in your life, visit reconsidered goods Tuesday through Sunday.

Stop back tomorrow and we'll share an interior shot of the BOX TRUCK!

Triad Yard Cards & Thank you Jesus Signs

Triad Yard Cards is a locally owned company that prints plastic signs and provides the metal stands to hold them in yards. Yard signs have been very popular for groups advertising events, especially religious organizations. The above signs, the Star of David, and the Inclusive, Rainbow Heart,  were installed by Triad Yard Cards at Temple Emanuel last month.*

Other local yard signs, sweeping the nation, are the "Thank you JESUS" signs. Unlike Triad Yard Cards, with  a seemingly unlimited array of signs, symbols, and individual letters, the Thank you Jesus signs only offer one sign. The company was started by an Asheboro teen and, to date, has sold over 100,000 "Thank you JESUS signs.* If you are driving around town today, past any house of worship, and see signage in the yard, you can be relative confident that the signs were made locally. If your religious organization need signs, consider these two businesses. Truly, you will be contributing to the "shop locally" movement. Happy Sunday!

• Contact information: 336-937-2560 [email protected]
• Contact information: www.thankyoujesus.com

Bliss & Co. Downtown Salon

Bliss & Co. Downtown Salon, located at 238 South Elm Street,  was voted Best Salon on the Yes Weekly's 2016 Triad's Best List. This day spa is especially known for hair, cosmetic, and waxing services. They have been downtown for several years and they remind clients, and potential clients, to "Be Worthy * Be Yourself * Be Bliss."

Today is Small Business Saturday, the day that we make an effort to shop locally and help the small businesses make a profit for the year. Remember, even if you can't get a same-day appointment at a local salon, you can purchase gift certificates and make appointments. Every dollar you spend at a small business today is much more likely to stay in the community and make local economic impact  than purchases made online or form large corporations.

We're sharing this photo with the online meme, Weekend Reflections, which will bring viewers from all over the world to Greensboro.

Black Friday at February 1 Place and Elm Street.

February 1 Place and South Elm Street is a beautiful, yesteryear view of downtown. The International Civil Rights Museum is on the left, the Chamber of Commerce is on the right, and that fabulous Carlyle & Co/Rolex clock is in front of us. The unidentified woman on the right is checking messages as she heads towards Elm Street.

Today is Black Friday and shoppers will be everywhere, especially at the malls and shopping centers. However, tomorrow is Small Business Saturday. If you are not downtown today, we hope you will come downtown tomorrow to shop in some of the locally owned stores. Downtown, or elsewhere, it is so important to support our small, locally owned businesses. Those dollars are much more likely to stay in Greensboro when you shop the mom and pop stores. Have a great Saturday! 

Happy Thanksgiving 2017

Happy Thanksgiving! We hope you are dining on good food with family and friends today. Word has it that turkeys were in good abundance this year which brought the price down. North Carolina ranks number 2 in turkey production in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Thirty three and a half million turkeys were produced in NC. Minnesota was the only state producing more turkey than North Carolina. Poultry is a top agricultural industry, generating over 34 billion dollars in revenue for the state.*

The above photo features a plate of  food that was harvested entirely within 70 miles of Greensboro: peas and snaps (the shells of the peas that were too small to open), turnips, hot peppers, and greens. The protein is deer meat, not exactly the traditional Thanksgiving turkey. However, given North Carolina's deer population is over a million, we’re betting it could be a big revenue generator- if there were more of a commercial a market for it. About 125,000 deer were harvested this past hunting season, so somebody is eating deer meat. To be sure, it is sourced locally.

Regardless of what you have decided to serve today, enjoy your meal and make good fellowship. If you venture out shopping, be extra nice to those who have to work. Today, as always, we give thanks for you, dear readers.

*reference, News and Observer.

North Church Street and Beyond

North Church has changed considerably over the last decade. Elon Law School, established 2006, is located in the Greene Street building that formerly housed the Greensboro Central Library. The library is now on North Church Street- barely visible on the left-hand side of the photo. The Greensboro Children's Museum, on the left, opened in 2010. This area is actually quite busy. However, the above photo captured a recent afternoon, at sunset, when there was a lull in traffic and it was as if we were in big sky country.

The photo reminds us that many people will be traveling this weekend to celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends. If you are leaving town, please drive carefully. If you are staying in town, please head downtown and explore all that Greensboro has to offer. We are so thankful that you are reading this post. We are hopeful that this little volunteer, not-for-profit, community service will continue to be readily visible as lawmakers discuss changes to the Internet.

Lincoln Financial Group Building, Formerly Jefferson-Pilot

The Lincoln Financial Group shines beautifully looking out the north facing windows of the Carolina Theatre. We still think of this building as the Jefferson Pilot "JP" building. Lincoln Financial acquired Jefferson Pilot in 2006. After eleven years, it is long time for the rebranding of the building and the business. This 20 story building was completed in 1990 as an add-on to the Jefferson Standard Building that dates back to 1923.

The more we learn about the architecture, the more we appreciate the history and diversity of our downtown buildings. In the foreground on the right, the corner of the Brutalist/cement parking deck on Green Street is peeking out from the fall foliage.  The JP, now LFG Building, is truly one of Greensboro's iconic buildings. It is fun to have the children in your life try to spot it from different vantage points in town. Do you have a favorite building downtown? 

Community Theatre of Greensboro: Mitchel Sommers Directs 23rd Wizard of Oz

Yesterday afternoon was the closing show for the 23rd annual production of the Wizard of Oz. Mitchel Sommers, featured above, who is celebrating his 25th year with Community Theatre of Greensboro (CTG), has directed the Wizard of Oz for all the 23 years it has been staged. Performances are held at The Carolina Theatre and, each year, they seems to get better and better. The costumes, lighting, set design, special effects, singing and acting are just about perfect. Areal moves add extra excitement to the show. (The Wicked Witch even bikes through the air)! Having a live orchestra is icing on the cake. So much of this perfection, we owe to the hard work of the director. 

The "one yellow brick at a time" slogan is tied in with the fundraising campaign. Out of a 1.2 million dollar note to purchase the former Broach Theatre on South Elm Street for CTG, donors have contributed about a million. However, CTG could use a few more people to purchase "bricks" (plaques).  The engraved plaques are on permanent public display at CTG's theater, renamed The Starr Theatre, on Elm Street. While some productions are staged at the Starr, with a cast of nearly 70, plus a fan base that has grown over 23 years, even the 1,075-seat-capacity Carolina Theatre fills quickly for Wizard of Oz productions. From the dedicated actors and their families, volunteers, audience, production staff, orchestra members, community donors, Carolina Theatre staff, and EVERYONE involved in the Wizard of Oz, you are proof positive of the magic that happens when a community works together. To all of you, especially Mr. Sommers, we applaud you virtually. See you next year!

Pleached Hornbeam Walk at Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden

Today's photo was taken at the Paul J Ciener Botanical Garden on Main Street in Kernersville, about 12 miles west of Greensboro in the next county over. The promenade is actually a walkway, known as the Pleached Hornbeam Walk, installed in 2008 and sponsored by Fidelity Bank. It is hard to tell from this photo but the tree branches are entwined onto wire, growing more two dimensionally than three. Hence, the term "pleached." The hornbeam tree is actually in the birch family with "horn" referring to the hardness of the wood, and "beam", the Old English word for tree (German, baum). The elongated arrangement, seen above,  forms a lovely wall and it is as if you are surrounded by nature, even though the living wall is only one layer of trees.

Walking and sitting in silent meditation there was extremely peaceful yesterday. Although the winds were strong, taking photos was enjoyable, as pods and drying plants are glorious this time of year. The wind made photography challenging, but rewarding. On Sundays, we try to post something spiritual, inspirational, and reflective. Most everyone appreciates the spiritual aspect of walking in solitude, without the distractions of our hurried, technology driven world. If you need a respite, consider Ciener Garden.

 

Children's Museum: Inside

The Greensboro Children's Museum has undergone so many changes over the last few years and it continues to serve the community well. A couple of weeks ago, we featured the new outdoor playground and talked about the Schoolhouse Garden. Today, we're sharing the entrance. As you can see, the ticket counter is located on the right. To the right, you also see families about to enjoy this engaging museum.

Straight ahead, is a display of some iconic items for children: Monopoly money, a box of animal crackers, a Pokemon card, a comic book, a tootsie pop wrapper, and more. If you are looking for something to do with children today, or over the Thanksgiving holiday, It will be open every day but Thanksgiving. They not only have activities for little children, the offer events for teens. For example, the day after Thanksgiving, they will feature a cooking class for teens. Check out their schedule, here; or, better yet, stop by and see for yourself.

Happy Friday!

Friday is upon us. The above photo features a little outbuilding in northwest Greensboro. It is surrounded by kudzu, briars, an overgrown garden, and hardwood trees.  Fall is a time when the scruffy look of fallen leaves and plants that have gone to seed add to the character of the season. The warm colors of the leaves make the little white building stand out and invite exploration.

We hope you have a great weekend and find a little time to get out and enjoy the outdoors. Greensboro's trails are lovely and inviting this time of year. If you like to shop, there will be plenty of opportunities to do so in Greensboro this weekend. Merchants have filled the stores with inventory and are working their hardest to encourage us to shop locally.

However, if you do indulge in retail therapy, please try to find a little time to steal a little solitude, a spot of your own...

 

Denim Blues

Finding a pair of jeans made in America just got harder. Learning that the 112 year old Cone Denim White Oak plant is closing in Greensboro has us scrambling to find signs of denim in Greensboro. Just as out city's new nickname "Jeansboro" is gaining momentum, the city will lose the plant. This news is so monumental, it made the New York Times (here).

Today's photos show a string of lights at the Greensboro Cultural Center. If you look closely, you will notice that they are wrapped in custom-made denim covers. From mid-August through October, the Cultural Center featured an exhibit entitled the "50 Shades of Blue Denim Project." It showed how artists could take denim discards and breathe new life into them by creating artwork out of denim. Perhaps we could round up some artists who could breathe new life into our city's remaining denim factory, before it is lights out... 

 

Moonbird Pottery

Greensboro has many great potters, several of whom hold semiannual shows on their property. Moonbird Pottery's owner opens up her Lindley Park back yard to a few other vendors twice a year. The above photo features people delighting in Christina Brown's latest pottery on the porch of her studio. If you missed this house sale, you will also have an opportunity to shop this Friday evening at Moonbird Pottery on Spring Garden Street, beside Spring Garden Bakery.

Even if you don't need any pottery (who doesn't need original, local pottery?), you owe it to yourself to attend this event. Christina just returned from Morocco and the theme of the store's event is Marrakesh. With all of the Moroccan items and inspiration, it will feel like an authentic "souk."  If you are really inspired, before Moonbird's event, you could go out to one of Greensboro many Middle Eastern restaurants and feel like you have left the country without leaving town. We hope you love Greensboro's great diversity and talented artists as much as we do.

My Bagels and More

My Bagels and More has opened recently in Cardinal Crossing, beside McDonald's, in the building that formerly housed Taco Bell. The fresh made in-house bagels and the wide variety of cream cheese options make it a place that pleases a variety of taste buds; from the savory or strong, like the everything bagel, to the sweet, choice abounds. They also have more hearty options like bacon, egg, and cheese bagels. Frequent customers report that these bagels, indeed, remind them of New York bagels. They are managed by 4th generation bagel makers from New York. In the front of the store, there is a lounge area and a variety of baked goods in their BADA BING Cafe. 

Newer businesses with local connections, like Burke Street Pizza, CRU, and now My Bagels, seem to be attracting more people to the Fleming/Inman Road area. If they can build loyal follows from the Cardinal neighborhood and attract customers en route to the airport, they should be around for a long time. 

Boomerang Bookshop: Nomad

The Boomerang Bookshop Nomad is on site for at Corner Farmer's Market in Lindley Park on Saturdays. The mobile bookmobile is also in Glenwood on Thursdays.  YES! Weekly referred to it as the "food truck of books." Diarra Crkt Leggett and his wife Elizabeth own and operate the mobile bookshop. Leggett is not new to books. He has sold books locally for nearly 16 years and worked as a library assistant in Kernersville. He comes by his passion for books honestly as his mother was a librarian in Winston-Salem for thirty years. In the YES! Weekly article about Leggett and his mobile bookshop, Leggett speaks of how happy it makes him when a customer finds the exact book they were looking for.*

In this era when social media is making anything longer than 140 characters something we mark as tl;dr ('too long; didn't read'), it is nice to learn of a mobile book store, offering new and used books, and opportunities to buy, sell, and trade, right there alongside the produce stand at the farmer's market. Even if you don't think you want a book, go meet Leggett and start talking literature. Likely, after searching his well culled inventory, you will find something you just have to read. Leggett is living the 21st century American dream. He has his own business, he is not tied down to brick and mortar, and when he goes to work, he is doing something he loves. It doesn't get better than that.                                    

*for reference and for more information, read Ian Mcdowell's article, here.

And the Navy Chaplain Led Us in Prayer...

Friendly Center was beautiful yesterday, with maple trees displaying their autumn color and new flags prominently displayed at the Friendly Avenue entrance. At the Veterans Day Flag Raising, veterans bowed their heads in prayer, while the Navy Chaplain led us in prayer, inviting everyone to pray according to what they believed. Several veterans and American Legion members were in attendance and participating at the Marine Corps League flag raising ceremony. Southeast Guilford High Schoos's Navy Junior ROTC students served as color guards.

The crowd was small, but those who were in attendance, were appreciative and reverent. The service was memorable and touching. Some of the veterans walked with great difficulty, but, all walked with pride. We were glad to be there to show our appreciation and to honor the veterans in our own family. Mark your calendars for Veterans Day next year. The service is a great patriotic moment.

 

Happy Veterans Day

Today is Veterans Day and we hope you have the opportunity to get out and honor Greensboro's veterans. While walking in the country yesterday, we were reflecting on the service of the veterans in our family, community, and country. Today, we will start the day with the annual 8:00 a.m. Flag Raising at Friendly Center, organized by the Marine Corps League. Here is a list of other activities in the Greensboro/Guilford County area if you are interested in attending something. After leaving the service at Friendly Center today, we will make our rounds through the town. There is so much to do in Greensboro this weekend.

Adelaide's Vintage Home and Garden is holding her holiday open house today at 2000 Spring Garden Street. Just down the street, Moonbird Pottery is glowing with Moroccan influences from the owner's recent trip there. Potters of the Piedmont are selling their wares at Leonard Recreation Center on Ballinger Road today. Guilford Presbyterian Church is holding their International Fair Trade Show on Fernwood Drive. Community Theatre of Greensboro is presenting the Wizard of Oz. It is the 23rd year of this tradition, and people are raving about the memorable laugh of this year's Wicked Witch. These are merely a few of the many, many happenings in Greensboro today. Call a friend, head out to make memories, pay respect to our veterans, and, perhaps support some local artists and vendors! 

Weatherspoon Exhibit: Isichapuitu

If you like Mexican and South American art, this exhibit at the Weatherspoon Art Museum on UNCG's campus will be perfect for you. The ceramic figures are the work of Kukuli Velarde who has been selected as part of the Falk Visiting Artist Program. Velardi, while Peruvian, designed the exhibit based on a photo of a piece of Mexican art. The centuries-old vessel that inspired the above art was pottery from the indigenous Huastec people. The title of the exhibit, Isichapuitu, represents the female vessel of death, known to evoke spirits of the past. Each is a different iteration of the same vessel.

If you visit the exhibit, be sure to read the card that explains the meaning behind every figure. The represent emotions, fears, desires, and stories related to the artist's life, as well as her effort to make peace with her memores. Velarde will speak about her art next week, 2:30- 3:30 on November 15th and at 6pm on November 16th. The Weatherspoon Museum is a local treasure; six galleries of art, free and open to the public.

Daas Mural

The public art scene has blossomed in Greensboro over the last two years, especially the addition of murals. The above mural was painted on the Bellemeade Street Parking Deck on North Elm Street on August 17, 2017. The 80-foot mural is one of two on the parking deck. The mural and the block party held to watch Daas paint this past summer is brought to us courtesy of City Arts and the Greensboro Participatory Budgeting Program.*

The bright strip of color with part of a face looking at northbound drivers reminds us to drive carefully. When the photo is compressed with a zoom lens and the foliage of trees is cut out, the resulting geometric shapes give Greensboro a big-city, urban feel. Do you like the look of all the murals? Do you have a favorite?

* reference and more information, here.

Second Annual Triad VegFest

This past Sunday, the Second Annual Triad VegFest was held at the Yanceyville Curb Market in East Greensboro. In the above photo, people were lined up for a taste of Loma Linda's plant-based food. The parent company, Atlantic Natural Foods, is based out of Nashville, North Carolina. Their 53,000 square foot facility manufactures and distributes sustainable vegetarian foods and beverages.

The festival was much larger this year than last and it is anticipated that it will continue to grow and gain in popularity as we become more mindful of sustainable living and eating. At the festival, food trucks, a space to eat, and entertainment was outside and indoors, there was a nice balance of vegan foods and products. If you want to know more about veganism or find a community of like-minded folks, contact someone at Vegans of the Triad or the Triad Vegan Society.  When we talked to a representative of the Triad Vegan Society, they assured us that they are friendly anyone committed to making an effort to eat more sustainable (i.e., fewer animal-based foods and products), and they do NOT shame people who still eat meat! Have you ever tried a vegetarian day?

Greensboro Childrens Museum

If you haven't been to the Greensboro Children's Museum lately, you owe it to yourself to find some special children in your life and take them there. The space has had quite a facelift. The museum first opened on May 15, 1999, over 18 years ago. The space has evolved beautifully to keep up with the times. While it has always had educational, interactive, and hands-on exhibits indoors, the have greatly expanded their outdoor offerings. They now have a half-acre learning garden, teaching children about growing vegetables and sustainability through the Edible Schoolyard. The museum has incorporated interactive STEM activities, and now has an outdoor playground- partially visible on the right. If you notice, the climbing structure is almost as tall as the building. Children navigate around flexible rope and most don't hesitate to climb to the top. The view must be amazing.

The 37,000 square foot facility is an award-winning museum, recognized for providing children with opportunities for creative exploration of the natural and material world. With the time change and the gray evenings of winter approaching, we especially cherish days like last Friday, when the sky was bright, warm, and glorious. To appreciate the change in aesthetic, here is the GCM post we wrote in 2009. 

Cat Cafe of Greensboro

Everyone is talking about the fact that Greensboro got a cat cafe. It opened this weekend with very heavy bookings. You need to have an appointment to attend and the were almost completely booked this weekend. The cost is $10 an hour, which helps cover the care of the cats. The Cat Cafe is located in the 600 block of South Elm Street, near Elsewhere Museum and across the street from Mellow Mushroom. 

To enter, you must sanitize your hands and go through the entrance door and then a 3' gate. The current batch of cats is a range of adolescent kittens and adult cats; all but the house cat are available for adoption. The cats are very friendly and playful. Coffee and snacks are available for purchase in the back of the store-  in a separate section. 

The Cat Cafe fills the need of giving people a chance to interact with kitties, especially if the are too busy to have one at home. It also brings like-minded people together and, who knows, you just might make some new friends while admiring a grey tabby or a bi-color, short-haired orange-marmalade colored American house cat, like the one who was flirting with us in the window Or, was it sticking its tongue out at us because we didn't adopt him?

(above). 

Former Methodist Cemetery

The sign for the former Methodist cemetery is located on South Elm Street just down from Scuppernong Bookstore and across the street from Cheesecakes by Alex. The sign is pretty self explanatory. You have to love these old-school historic markers. In the digital age where we have QR codes and information at our fingertips, all we still erect metal, raised-letter signs? They have so much character. Today's sign has even more character. As you can see from the close-up below, somebody put a googley-eyed umlaut on the "o" in the word "original". Perhaps, the were trying to be original. 

Have a great Sunday! We hope you get out for a walk. Perhaps you can attend the Second Annual Triad Veg Fest at the Greensboro Farmers Market (see, here). You can also attend Moonbird Pottery's Art in the Yard event in Lindley Park from 11-5pm today at 2629 Beechwood Street. Perhaps you can walk along Elm Street to see if the googley eyes are still in place!

 

Casa Azul

Casa Azul of Greensboro promotes Latino art and culture in the local community. The above photo features the sign in desk at Casa Azul's sixth annual Day of the Dead event held at the Central Library last night. The Nussbaum Room at the library was filled with ofrendas, altars filled with offerings and remembrances of deceased loved ones. Before the event began, one room was filled with people putting face paint on the people who would be performing at LeBauer center a little later.

If you ever want to know how to be more involved with Greensboro's Spanish speaking community, Casa Azul is a great place to begin. While the two figures in the above photo may look a bit menacing, they were really quite nice and very agreeable for taking photos and answering questions. Casa Azul was established in 2010 and, over the last seven years, the not-for-profit organization has grown into a group with over 150 volunteers. They are based out of the Greensboro Cultural Arts Center, centrally located to all of the venues on the north side of downtown. 

In addition to the event in the library and LeBauer Park last night, Greensboro had many exciting activities held in conjunction with First Friday. The Art Alliance held a pottery sale in the Cultural Arts Center on Davie Street that will continue this morning (in the room beside Art Quest). Galleries were open, food and beverage establishments were busy, and retail establishments had their merchandise all fluffed up so that shoppers could enjoy their time downtown. The 80 degree weather made it quite enjoyable to stroll along Elm Street. Make sure to mark your calendars for Friday, December 1st. December's First Friday is always the one that kicks off the December holiday season. The above characters remind us, while there are 363 days until Day of the Dead, there are only 51 days until Christmas!

First Friday in November

It is the weekend; specifically, the first Friday in November. That means time for gallery hopping downtown. A new art gallery has opened at the corner of West Washington Street and South Elm in the building that formerly housed "Glitters." Featured above, it is called Hilary Clement and Friends Pop-up Gallery. Hilary, who has a studio at 205 Collaborative on Lyndon Street, opened this gallery featuring her own paintings and the artwork of many great local artists. If the November/December pop-up is well received, the gallery may elect to stay in this location. Since it is First Friday, you will have an opportunity to stop in and enjoy the artwork. All was quiet when we photographed late last night. It should be busy today. Rumor has it that since the carpet was removed, it no longer smells like patchouli incense.

Another downtown event, a few blocks northeast, from 6:00- 9:00 pm, you can see the "Day of the Dead" altar exhibit in the Central Library and performances in nearby LeBauer Park. Casa Azul works hard to prepare the "Día de Muertos" event. The weather should perfect for walking, shopping, enjoying art, admiring Day of the Dead altars, and making new friends.  Here's to enjoying a night out on the town, our town!

Tam's Slammin' Salsa

Ashley Harwell, the salsa lady,  dressed out for the Keep It Local event.  Ashley and her mom, Tammy, started making salsa together as a hobby and then realized they could turn it into a business. They've been working on getting the necessary credentials to sell at local farmers' markets and maybe even get their product placed with restaurants and stores. They really enjoy making salsa and meeting and interacting with customers. We had the good fortune to meet Ashley and sample her product at last weekend's event. We wish her the best of luck. She has a great product and personality plus!

Ashley donned her best Day of the Dead outfit,  "La Catrina" make up, and decorated her booth with papel picado, for the Halloween theme of Saturday's show. Ashley's photo reminds us that today is Día de los Muertos. This holiday that is increasingly celebrated in Greensboro given the increase in the local Hispanic population, especially immigrants from Mexico, over the last two decades.

If you are near an international grocery store, try some pan de muertos. If you are looking for homemade salsa, contact Ashley at [email protected] . Finally, if you are looking for some great "Día de Muertos" music, listen to some Tish Hinojosa music here. We're betting Ashley/La Catrina would approve- especially if you combined listening with some chips and salsa.

Rock and Roll

Rock and Roll is the November 1st theme day for the City Daily community. If you click, here, you will see people rock and rolling around the world. To represent Greensboro, we are sharing this photo of a Greensboro group called The Reloads. They played at the Leanne Pizio's Keep It Local art event this past weekend. The weather was perfect and their music added a very nice touch to this great event. The Reloads don't have a website, but if you want to book them, their contact person is  Jerry Joplin. If you are interested, let us know and we can get you his contact information.

Greensboro has a very strong live music scene across a diverse array of genres. We have many events and venues as well. Summers are filled with MUSEP and the Eastern Music Festival. Tuesdays you can find live music at Lucky 32 and Thursdays there is live jazz at the O. Henry Hotel. Many of the breweries and restaurants in town feature live music. Common Grounds coffee shop has an open mike night, theaters like the Carolina Theatre and Triad Stage host musical events. These are some of the many events in Greensboro. Today, our love goes out to 1) the Reloads who have a nice sound; 2) all of Greensboro's musicians; 3) the City Daily Photo Community- that convinced us to commit to a photo a day over eight years ago; and last but not least, 4) you, dear readers.

Happy November. Bring on Thanksgiving, dark nights, and a reason to move the music inside!