The original Mardi Gras in North America is in full swing, with parades, parties, balls, beads and moonpies occupying the days and nights of Mobilians for the next two weeks. It is indeed a season of merriment, and to add to the festive atmosphere, the Alliance has adorned Bienville Square with gigantic lighted crowns. The crowns were purchased with donations from the Carnival Association and the Hearin-Chandler Foundation, and were hung by a very patient crew from the City of Mobile's Electrical Department.
Even though our focus shifts slightly to the frivolous during Carnival, business, somehow, goes on as usual. Just check out all the activities and development updates in this newsletter. Laissez les bon temps rouler to be sure, but let's keep our economic development rolling as well.
For complete Mardi Gras parade schedules and routes, and live video, visit the City of Mobile website.
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Development Buzz
New Projects and Developments Downtown
Downtown's newest restaurant is filling a long-vacant niche in the ethnic food category. Panda Express opened at 102 Dauphin Street on January 13 to long lines and good reviews. The buffet is quick and hearty, but we're told the teriyaki chicken is the dish to try!
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Speaking of ethnic, how about an Irish Pub? O'Daly's will be opening this weekend and promises an authentic pub experience. The establishment will be non-smoking and features an outdoor patio. The pub owners, Chris Corey and Matthew Lemond, are downtown veterans, having operated other LoDa night spots over the years.
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Retail Happenings
Shopping, Dining & Entertainment News
Downtown establishments continue to fill the pages of the Press-Register. Jeff Jordan is a busy man these days with his business, Mardi Gras & More, a popular stop for locals and visitors alike, but he found time to make the front page of the Business section of the January 17th Press-Register. We especially like his advice for the Bay Area: "Mobile has a unique, historic downtown that many other cities would love to have. Locals should not take this for granted."
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In other retail happenings:
Hop Jacks is offering a new Hoppy Meal: two slices of cheese pizza and a drink for $5.00 during lunch hours.
There's another option for that after work drink now that Dahlia's Electric Piano Bar is open for happy hour, from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. This weekend, songmeisters Gene Murrell and Scott Morelock will be recording a live CD. You know you've always wanted to be in the audience of a live recording...now's your chance!
Celebrate the release of the movie "The Lightning Thief" at
Bienville Books on Friday, Feb. 12 from 5 to 6:00 p.m. Fans of the series are invited to drop in, get a free promotional gift (while supplies last) and register to win a SIGNED hardcover copy of "The Lightning Thief." One item per customer please. Drawing held at 6:00 p.m. and you must be present to win. Note: Please be advised,
the store is INSIDE of the parade route so plan on staying for the Crewe of Columbus Parade.
Bienville Books also has just received "Mobile Bay: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow" and a limited number of copies are available at ten percent off the retail price of $49.95. The first 155 pages of this hardbound 288-page coffee-table book pairs historic photographs, many over a century old, with views of the same scenes as they appear today. It was written by Michael V. R. Thomason and Carol Ellis and features the photography of Catt Sirtin. The latter section includes profiles of local businesses and institutions written by Elizabeth A. Doehring. <<I highly recommend this book, it's great>>
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At the Crescent Theater:
Young Victoria
January 29 - February 4
Show times: 6:00 and 8:30 PM
Weekend Matinee: 2:00 PM
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The Rocky Horror Picture Show
February 5 - February 18
Show times: 9:00 p.m.
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New Bus Stop Underway
You might have noticed the construction on St. Joseph Street at the corner of St. Francis. The city is returning a bus stop to the location that served as the transfer station before the operation was moved to the GM&O Building several years ago.
The shelter was designed by Cummings Architecture and was inspired by the street cars that once carried passengers in Mobile in the early 1900s.
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Campaign seeks to restore service to Sunset Limited route
The National Association of Railroad Passengers has launched My Gulf Coast, a new website dedicated to the restoration of passenger train service through the Gulf Coast states of the Southeast United States.
The site is a platform for passengers to become part of My Gulf Coast the campaign, which is working to restore passenger train service between New Orleans and Florida.
This route segment - which completes the busy I-10 corridor - connects the eight southernmost states that, together, have one of every three Americans and account for half the nation's population growth since 1970. NARP released a position paper on August 18 titled "Restore the Gulf Coast Connector Now," which criticized Amtrak's Congressionally mandated report on service restoration, pointing out many flaws, both in the company's methods and assumptions. My Gulf Coast seeks to build on that foundation of policy, and bring NARP's plan for restoration to the widest possible audience.
Please take a minute to go to the site and see if your city is part of this movement, and sign up for My Gulf Coast updates, which will keep you up to date about campaign developments. Restoration of rail service will help relieve highway congestion and reduce reliance on oil...two goals that seem to be universally endorsed.
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Dinosaur Exhibit Sets New Record
Dinosaurs have invaded Downtown Mobile, and now area residents are invading the Gulf Coast Exploreum to catch a glimpse at the 12 life-size, animatronic creatures in the outdoor courtyard. More than 4,000 patrons visited the Exploreum during the three-day weekend, making it the best exhibit opening in the nonprofit's history.
In addition to the successful opening weekend, school field trip time slots are almost completely filled through the end of February. Birthday parties, meanwhile, are quickly booking up for March and April. Teachers should call 251.208.6880 for field trip availability, and parents should call 251.208.6873 for birthday parties.
A thrilling, full-sensory exhibit, Dinosaurs Downtown has transformed the Exploreum's courtyard into a Jurassic-era habitat with dinosaurs flying overhead, jungle foliage, watering holes and a waterfall. Guests are encouraged to purchase their tickets in advance at Exploreum.com to reduce wait times in lines.
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Upcoming Events
Happenings in and around Downtown
Celebrate Camellias at Bellingrath Gardens
Saturday and Sunday February 6th and 7th
Display your prized Camellia blossoms and learn from experts who will share information about cultivating, grafting, waxing and displaying the beloved blooms.
The gift shop will also be offering popular camellias for sale.
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Winter Wednesdays at Bellingrath
Camellias - February 3rd, 10:30 to 11:30 AM
Rose Pruning - February 10th, 10:30 to 11:30 AM
Bonsai 101 - February 17th, 10:30 to 11:30 AM
Horticulture By the Numbers - February 24th, 10:30 to 11:30 AM
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ArtWalk
Friday, February 12, 6:00 - 9:00 PM
Cathedral Square Arts District
Bring the entire family down for great art, live music, and a community event that brings together all three in beautiful downtown Mobile. New shows promise intrigue at Space 301, Blue Velvet Studio, the Mobile Arts Council, Serda's, and many more of the 25 participating venues.
Step inside galleries, Ed Edward's glass studio, and unique shops to see, hear and sometimes even taste the culinary delights that only Mobile can offer.
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MURDER AT THE FRUITCAKE INN
Friday, February 26, 7:00 PM
Mobile Carnival Museum
Welcome to the Fruitcake Inn in the quaint little town of Fruitcake, Louisiana. The Fruitcake Inn is home to some strange but lovable characters. Some of the strangest residents come out of their rooms to help out but lead to more confusion and laughter. A team of sisters, one a kleptomaniac (how does a 5'2" lady steal a two-story crane ?)and the other with a split personality and an arm with a "mind" of its own, try to assist the sheriff to determine who murdered the lady on the third floor of the inn. A card-toting psychic joins the investigation as well as the local Indian Chief, whose name is too deadly to pronounce. The mime and wild, fast-living, gun-shooting, young girl are using all of their energy to help the sheriff too. Now throw in the Innkeeper, a former druggie, and a high-powered traveling sales person with some very strange contraband to confuse and bedazzle you and the poor sheriff even more!! With all the confusion that ensues from the town-folk , the murder almost takes back seat to the total mayhem they cause!!
$57.00 Per person includes a tour of the museum, an unlimited wine bar, a delicious meal from The Pillars Restaurant and two hours of hilarity performed by the MMD Players.
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Gallery and Museum Exhibits
Pillars of the Community
Mobile's Greek Revival Movement
Museum of Mobile
111 S. Royal Street
The love affair of the city and its architecture is a story retold in The Museum of Mobile's newest temporary exhibit, Pillars of the Community-Mobile's Greek Revival Movement.
As a companion piece to the new book by John Sledge, The Pillared City - Greek Revival Mobile, the exhibit explores the people who in the 1820s changed the region physically from a fortified colonial town to a more modern American city. Images of the South made popular in books and films receive new attention as the visitor is introduced to a cast of characters from the real-life saga of how the face of the South was transformed to its lasting iconic perfection.
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Moving Vehicles
Through Sunday, March 7
Space 301, 301 Conti Street
Curated by Mia Kaplan, Co-Owner, AMMO Gallery, New Orleans, LA
When we think of "Moving Vehicles", we think of something mechanical, or of transportation. We become aware of the presence of something that is in motion, driven by a mysterious science. How often do we think of each other? Each one of us is a moving vehicle in our own right - an entity that is similarly mechanical, driven by events, beliefs, propaganda, goals, and an array of possibilities. What evidence has been left of these experiences? What vehicles have we created on our own, both literally and with the metaphor provided, that have taken us to where we are now?
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a Heart for Art: MAC Displays Student Art
February 1 - February 26
Mobile Arts Council, 318 Dauphin Street
Art by students from 29 public and private schools in Mobile and Baldwin Counties brightens the galleries at Mobile Arts Council during the month of February. The show was organized by the Bay Area Art Educators and features work by students of 17 members.
The exhibition will be on display from Monday, February 1 through Friday, February 26, with a reception set for 6 to 9 PM, Friday, February 12, during the LoDa ArtWalk. Arts Council offices are located at 318 Dauphin St. and are open Monday through Friday, 9 AM until 5 PM, except for Monday and Tuesday, February 15 and 16. Admission is free.
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