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DNB Newsletter - August 2010
> Chowder Festival Continues to Grow
> SAVE THE DATES
> Summerfest Wrap-up
> Fairfield Inn & Suites Opens
> Holiday Decorating for Historic District Lamppost
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NEW BEDFORD SEAPORT CHOWDER FESTIVAL CONTINUES TO GROW
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 The New Bedford YMCA proudly Presents the
Second Annual Lobster Races!
Come Join the fun. Here’s How to Play:
- Get an “official Race Program” from one of our volunteers
- Pick a lobster to win a certain race, place a fun wager with one of the volunteers
at the wager table
- Cheer for your lobster
- If you win, bring your race program back to the wager table to receive a raffle
ticket
- Put your name on the ticket, and drop it in the bowl to win one of the prizes
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This annual event, in it's fifth year, has surprised even the seasoned Committee members with the enthusiasm and support this festival generates! On September 12, from 12noon to 4 pm, you can sample the offerings of Clam Chowder, Seafood Chowder, Kale Soup and Stuffed Quahogs, from more than 20 area restaurants, all included in the price of your admission ticket. To date the following have registered to participate: Atria Fairhaven, Black Bass Grille, Cotali Mar, Ella's Wood Burning Oven, Freestone's, Fresca Grill, Galley Grille at White's of Westport, Healthy Grille, Ice Chest Bar & Grille, Inner Bay, Lindsey's Family Restaurant, M & C Cafe, Me & Ed's, Mike's Restaurant, Pasta House, Rivers End Cafe, Rose Alley Ale House, and Surf 'N'Turf.
NEW this year is a larger tent expanded in Custom House Square, to accommodate the increased attendance. Outside the main tent will be smaller tents set up for beverages such as bottled water, soft drinks, beers from Sam Adams, Wachusett Blueberry and Nantucket Cisco and Martha's Vineyard Offshore and our own Just Beer – Moby D. Wines will be offered from downtown's Travessia Urban Winery and ice cream from Cafe Arpeggio. Also under separate tents will be face painting by SMILES and shell painting by Elaine's at the Black Whale.
Music is also a big part of this festival featuring local favorites, McCarthy-Richards-Legge Trio and Shipyard Wreck who will rock us with contemporary songs and good old fashioned rock and roll. Back again this year: Lobster Races will be conducted in a custom made tank set up in the Carter's lot across from Custom House Square. This fundraiser benefits the local YMCA.
The Chowder Festival also has another component that we like to call “the spirit of friendly competition” that will culminate in awards. There will be trophies for 1st , 2nd and third place finishers in all categories for “Judges Choice”, “People's Choice” and The “Best Booth Presentation”. NEW this year ArtWorks! has organized a contest to have a local artist create a unique, one of a kind, handmade 1st place “Judges Choice” trophy.
Also NEW this year will be the Downtown Information table – Stop by the table and give us your name and contact info and you will be entered in the Grand Prize Drawing for a gift certificate package that includes on overnight stay at the new Fairfield Marriott Inn. NO fee to enter.
Many thanks to the sponsors who step forward to make this event possible. Downtown New Bedford, Inc. is fortunate to have the City of New Bedford, Poyant Sign Co.; The Standard Times and Reynolds DeWalt Printing as our key organizers. The Supporting Sponsors include: The Regency; Bristol County Savings Bank; Fleet Fisheries; Partridge, Snow and Hahn, P.C.; Raymon Pielech and Zexter; Aarsheim Fishing; Citizens-Union Savings Bank; Coastal Orthopaedics; Dias, Lapalme and Martin LLP; GNB Community Health Center; Norport, Inc.; Rolands Tire Co.; Sylvia Group of Insurance Agencies; Webster Bank; Hunter Scalloping; Kathryn Marie Scalloping.
TICKETS are $12 in advance, $15 day of, $5. for children 6-12, free for 5 and younger. Tickets are available at the following locations: in downtown New Bedford: DNB office, Citizens Union Savings Bank, Elaine's at the Black Whale, Destination Soups; Freestone's; On A Roll Sandwich Shop; Rose Alley Ale House; TL6 The Gallery, YMCA; in the north end of NB –Douglas Wine & Spirits; M & C Cafe; River's End Cafe. In Dartmouth: Cardoza's Wine and Spirits; Douglas Wine and Spirits; Black Bass; Cape Quality Seafood; Healthy Grille. In Fairhaven: Atria Fairhaven; Cardoza's Wine and Spirits; Douglas Wine and Spirits, Ice Chest and Mike's Restaurant. In Acushnet at Surf and Turf and in Wareham at Ella's Wood Burning Oven Grille.
Thanks to all the volunteers who come out year after year and those who are new this time. They are a key ingredient that is vitally important. An event this size takes between 75 and 100 people donating their time from set- up to breakdown and everywhere in between. Special thanks to the Planning Committee who not only work the the entire festival including set-up and breakdown, but who also meet monthly and then weekly to plan and insure the success of the Chowder Festival. They are: Committee Chairs Richard Poyant-Poyant Sign Co. and Kevin Pelland-Citizens Union Savings Bank. Volunteer Coordinator and restaurant recruiters: Ross Moran-PAACA and Whitney White. Marketing Coordinators Modesta Leveque-The Standard Times and Keri Cox-mediumstudio. Voting and Accounting coordinator David Medeiros-Sovereign Bank; Lobster Race Organizer Tara Pacheco-YMCA and DNB, Inc. staff Diane Arsenault and Marianne Conley Hodgson. Call the DNB, Inc. office at 508-990-2777 with questions or to donate your time or sponsorship.
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SAVE THE DATES – UPCOMING MEETINGS
 Downtown Forum and
New Member Reception
Thursday, September 16, 2010
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Waterfront Grille
Meet and greet your fellow Downtowners
Recap summer events - talk about upcoming events. Holiday Stroll – and downtown decorating!!
Downtown New Bedford, Inc.
Annual Meeting
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
11:30 – 2:00
The Waypoint Event Center at Fairfield Inn
Keynote Speakers: Dr. John Sbrega, Bristol Community College; Gerry Kavanaugh, Kavanaugh Software Innovations
Person of the Year Award: Peter Georgeopoulous, GNB Community Health Center
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS:
Junior Achievement of Southeastern MA
Joe Parisi, President
106 Spring Street, NB 02740
508-997-6536
http://southernmass.ja.org
Kavanaugh Software Innovations
Gerry Kavanaugh, President
800 Purchase Street, NB 02740
www.kavanaughsoftware.com
Coalition for Buzzards Bay
Mark Rasmussen, President
114 Front Street, NV 02740
508-999-6363
www.buzzardsbay.org
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Summerfest Wrap-up
By LAUREN DALEY
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Photos: Den Santoro
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“New Bedford sells itself— you just have to get the people there,” says Alan Korlolenko, who, along with his wife Helene, is a co-artistic director of Summerfest.
He’s right.
Many downtown businesses reported good sales over Summerfest weekend, held over July 4th weekend. “The restaurants and shops did very well. As I walked by, I saw a constant influx of people in and out of businesses,” Korolenko said. “Business looked terrific. The owner of Café Balina there told me he’d like to see Summerfest four times a year.”
Jennifer Deckers, director of sales at The Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott downtown, wouldn’t mind that, either. “Summerfest was really big for us. It really kicked off our summer,” Deckers said.
“Helene and Alan allowed us to host the entertainers—keep in mind, at that point, we’d been open a month. But we housed all their entertainers, and as a result we completely sold out that weekend,” she said.
Russell Kandalaft, owner of Freestone’s, said, “Summerfest was better for us this year than last, by about 10 percent. It helps us out a great deal.”
Dawn Paiva at No Problemo said they were closed Sunday, but Saturday was “all in all a good day for us.”
Even if some businesses didn’t necessarily see a boost in sales that weekend, know this:
Summerfest patrons will most likely return to downtown throughout the year, according to a recent survey, so you may see a boomerang effect.
According to a 2009 survey by UMass-Dartmouth, some 40 percent of Summerfest attendees live in SouthCoast, while some 60 percent visit from outside the area. Of those outsiders, 20 percent come from outside Massachusetts.
And 70 percent of Summerfest patrons say they have a better perception of downtown New Bedford after attending Summerfest.
“That’s meaningful,” Korolenko said. “That has an impact on future downtown visitors.”
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Fairfield Inn & Suites Opens to Community Fanfare, Booked Weekends
By LAUREN DALEY
Welcome to the Hotel New Bedford. Such a lovely place. OK, so that’s not its real name, but business is lovely at the The Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott on the New Bedford waterfront.
“We’re doing very well. The majority of weekends, we’ve been sold out,” said Director of Sales Jennifer Deckers. The hotel at 185 MacArthur Drive opened June 1 to great community fanfare. “We’ve had lots of community support,” Deckers said. “There have been a lot of weddings booked at the (Seaman’s Bethel) and Whaling Museum.
“Our business travel is starting to slowly increase as well,” she said. “We’ve gotten so much support from the community, we’ve exceeded our own expectations. I don‘t think it’s normal to open a hotel and be sold out a few days into it.”
Why is business booming?
In part, it’s due to the fervent community support. In part, the hotel sells itself: The Fairfield Inn offers complimentary hot breakfast, complimentary wired and wireless Internet access, indoor pool and Jacuzzi, and a fitness room.
It’s adjacent to Waypoint at the Harbor, and has a full-service Conference Center. It’s also walking distance to Historic New Bedford attractions and Ferry Terminal with service to Martha's Vineyard.
Its 106 rooms and suites come equipped with wireless high-speed Internet access, flat screen TVs, and more. Harbor view rooms offer breathtaking views of Cape Cod and the Islands.
“We’re off-Cape, so people can go explore the Cape, explore New Bedford and Boston. They still get the feel of being near the water, of going to the Cape and Martha’s Vineyard without being stuck on the Cape,” Decker said.
“Weekends look very strong, but the end of the summer is where we’re going to be reliant on corporate businesses. The New Bedford Economic Council is confident we can maintain business through year.
“The city has faith in us, and we’re stronger because of it,” she said. “It’s been amazing how quickly word has gotten out, while we haven’t done any official press.”
Downtown New Bedford, Inc. members will have an opportunity to experience the conference facility on Oct. 27 when DNB, Inc. holds its Annual Meeting and luncheon at the Waypoint Center.
For more information, call (774) 634-2000 or click here to visit online. |
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Keep the Tradition Alive!!
Holiday Decorating for Historic District Lampposts
Photo: Sally Spooner |
Downtown New Bedford, Inc. needs your help to continue the twenty-year downtown tradition – the hanging of laurel and red bows in the Historic District. We appreciate the donations received to date, but we still need to raise $1,000 to fund the project. Downtown New Bedford, Inc., who annually coordinates the volunteers for the project, will begin to has raised a third of the funds for 2010 decorating with the generous support of many downtown businesses and residents.
The total needed $3,400 and it must be raised between now and early October when the order is placed for 198 strands of fresh laurel and bright red bows to decorate the Historic lampposts located in the National Park.
Checks are to be made out to Downtown New Bedford, Inc., Laurel Project and can be sent to 105 William Street, New Bedford, MA 02740. We are a recognized 501(c) (3) non-profit and your contribution is fully tax deductible. The cost per lamppost is $17.50.
Let's keep this tradition alive. Thank you for your support. |
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