Yiasou!
When Greek meets the South you get one of Charlotte's most popular festivals Yiasou! Today is the first day of the 31st annual festival and you better believe that I will be standing in line for some scrumptious Greek food this evening. The festival is held at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox church, located in historic Dilworth. For all of you who are concerned about that parking nightmare, hop on the Lynx and you can easily walk from the Blue Line East/West Station.
For those of you who haven’t been before, this festival is truly a labor of love. The women of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox church start preparing food for the event six months in advance. And they take no short cuts, everything is homemade. In addition to the wonderful food, you will be entertained by the “Warriors of Greece” living history presentation, Greek folk dancing, and a live band. The festival lasts until Sunday, so make sure you go check it out! Yiasou! (Cheers!)
By: Rebecca Parker
Don't Drive Day!
Tomorrow, August 13 is Don't Drive Day in Charlotte. This Mecklenburg County Air Quality program initiative aims to limit and minimize air pollution and promote education and awareness around the community.
So take the Lynx, ride a bike, or a vegetable cart, but whatever you do, don’t drive! And then be sure to email [email protected] to explain how you got to work, and to be eligible for prizes!!
Branding Happy Hour
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While relaxing on the outdoor patio at M5 in SouthPark, enjoying one of their “signature cocktails,” I began to question the connection between my drink selection and the names assigned to the drinks at this particular restaurant. Sure, the “French Grape Crush” is an indisputably delicious blend of white rum, crushed red grapes, soda and simple syrup…but would I ever have ordered it if it was listed on the menu as Rum with Grapes? And for that matter, would I have been willing to pay $10 for a drink that sounded so simple? Perhaps our motivations for selecting a particular drink have less to do with the ingredients and more to do with the mystique of the name. It certainly appears that today’s martini bars have bought into this theory, as evidenced by the clever drink names at some of my favorite local spots. They come in all forms:
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Queen's Feast
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Beginning tomorrow, all of our Queen City readers will have the opportunity to “dine like royalty.” For $30 per person, you can enjoy a 3-course prix fixe dinner at some of Charlotte’s best restaurants. If you go here, you can check out the restaurants that are participating and see what menu options are being offered. I suggest checking out the menus before making your restaurant selection as some are definitely better than others.
Since I work at a naming firm, I also have to give kudos to the clever name that was given to Charlotte’s inaugural restaurant week: Queen’s Feast. Playing off of Charlotte’s nickname, the Queen City, the name Queen’s Feast provides ample opportunities to extend branding and promotional efforts directly from the name.
Don’t miss out on getting to eat at some of Charlotte’s best (and my favorite) restaurants at a fraction of the price! (Reservations Highly Recommended)
By: Rebecca Parker
Dog-Gone Marketing
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Man’s best friend has become a marketer’s dream. It’s no longer simply designer carriers and rhinestone-studded leashes. Today’s pups are surrounded by as many luxury labels and fashion trends as the rest of us. With clever brand names to boot.
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EpiCentre in Charlotte
The skyline of Uptown Charlotte is brimming with cranes as developers work to add to the city’s residential and retail spaces capitalizing on Charlotte’s rapid growth rate.
One development of particular interest for Charlotteans has been the EpiCentre, named for its location in the heart of Uptown Charlotte. The EpiCentre is an enormous mixed-use development touting a 265,000 sq ft retail center, a 50-story condominium tower, an 'aLoft' Hotel created by Starwood Hotels, and 60,000 sq ft of office space.
Let the festivities begin!
Charlotte is home to numerous race fans and the Food Lion Speed Street Festival has attracted thousands of these enthusiasts from not only North Carolina but also from states across the country. Celebrating its 14th year, the family-oriented event will take place on the 22nd through the 24th of May in Uptown Charlotte. Commemorating motor sports, Speed Street offers guest appearances by top Sprint Cup and NASCAR drivers, along with motor sport exhibits like race cars and burn out bikes to name a few. Speed Street is scheduled to entertain guests with artists like Kellie Pickler, Jagged Edge and Tara Allison on three different stages located across Uptown Charlotte. Admission is free. Whether you are a hard encore race addict or just simply looking for something to do over the weekend, the Food Lion Speed Street Festival is a great event to let loose, immerse yourself in the racing world, indulge in a mouth-watering hot dog and enjoy a refreshing cold beer.
By: Nishani Premaratne