Goings On About Town

I picked up a flyer at Lazy Daze this afternoon, for the grand opening celebration of a new coffee shop-cum-lots of other things called Earth House, at 237 North East Street (southeast corner of New York and East), inside Lockerbie Central United Methodist Church. Grand opening festivites are next weekend (Friday 9.19 and Saturday 9.20), from five on Friday until whenever, and all day Saturday. Music, yoga, free coffee - all kinds of coffee-shop-inside-a-church-related things. Haven't been round to try this one yet, but plan to stop by next Saturday, since we will also be downtown that day for...

Fiesta Indianapolis, a huge, all-day Latino festival that takes place at the American Legion Mall from noon to midnight. Amy and I have been to this festival a couple of times over the years, but it's not one we hit every year (like the Greek Festival and the Indian Market), which is a little bit odd considering what Amy teaches - but it's rare for me to have Saturdays off. The food lines are always really long, but the festival runs the whole length of the mall and is a whole lot easier to get into and out of than either the Indian Market or the Greek Festival (partly because, unlike those others, there is no admission charge for Fiesta). Tons of booths and activities, and plenty of room for kids (and grown-ups, for that matter) to run around - and much more of a pure diversity experience than most of the other festivals that pop up around town this time of year.

Anybody manage to make it to Tavern At The Temple, that new fine dining restaurant inside the restored Buggs Temple at the north end of the Canal Walk? If not, the window of opportunity has closed. We didn't make it, either, though we're not really into that whole fine dining thing anyway. I heard something on the evening news about a downtown restaurant that was closing, but I missed the actual story. Checked the Star's website later and found that it was Tavern At The Temple, and that it closed tonight. The developers of the Buggs Temple, where the restaurant lived, are said to be working on getting a new restaurant into the space, but I'm not holding my breath. Buggs has been in development since 2002, but just got off the ground this year - and only two of the four original tenants made it to the opening. (A Cornerstone Coffee Shop, à la Moe & Johnny's, and a Ritter's Custard never opened in the restored temple.)

Two weeks ago Friday, I heard on the radio on the way to work that Peal, a local pop-rock band, was playing the Biergarten at the Rathskeller, from 8 to 11 that night - with free admission. I didn't have anyone to go with, and couldn't go until about ten because I was at work until then, but I swung by after my shift and drank a beer while they played a few songs. A week from this Friday, on the 19th, local blues-rock artist Jennie DeVoe plays the second set at the Biergarten, 8-11pm.