Many shops are open late, and adults enjoy a bit of wine tasting and snacking as they wander from place to place, getting their passport stamped to be entered into a grand prize drawing for a gift basket every month. Fun!

It’s an event you can bring the kids to…or a date. The weather was perfect and people were in a happy mood. Every picture tells a story; enjoy.

The weather’s been glorious, and it’s the perfect time of year for dining al fresco, lingering in Balis Park, wandering the shops (new fashions and items for the new season!).  April brings such pretty weather and today was just so lovely I couldn’t help but take a few snaps along the street of the beautiful Square,  just as the lunch hour was approaching.

Taverna’s tables were set on the patio and people were beginning to gather to enjoy an outdoor lunch, with a generous helping of sunshine.

Oh, to be outside in the breezy late morning on the Square!  That cerulean sky.  The fresh green leaves on the trees lining the sidewalks.   The beautiful sculptures; the gazebo in Balis Park.

Shops with everything new for spring – from fashions, to home goods;  giftware and stationary – and a shipment of 38 boxes of new Melissa & Doug inventory just in at the San Marco Bookstore.  Any parent can tell you of this quality toy/puzzles line for children. If you need a gift for a child I’d head over there soon to check out the new offerings from that line.  Everyone knows that books are always wonderful but San Marco Bookstore has so many other unique little items.  Today I picked up a combination bookmark/ruler which has a hologram of a Panda bear appearing to scale its bamboo stalk.  She’ll be over the moon for this one.It’s going to be an Easter surprise! A variety of animals are available.

There is much to look forward to in San Marco this spring and summer, and next up is the Affair in the Square on April 20th. Lots of fun is being planned for the evening, including music, the Model Search Finalists judging, games and  face painting for the kids by the fabulous Pink Ivy Parties, and the ever popular Photobooth-to-Go,  which photographer Dan Harris makes available for ‘Affair’ guests.  The shops are open late and there’ll be wine tastings with snacks, and the fun of going from place to place to have your passport stamped (shopping is optional but how can you resist?  Have you been in the shops lately?)  You’ll see friends around the Square, have your fully-stamped passport entered for a prize drawing!  Of course, the restaurants serve their usual fare along with certain specials for ‘Affair’ guests.

And this is just the beginning of the warmer days, so stay tuned to My San Marco for all the happenings to come, and the story that makes this community a wonderful place to live, work, shop, and dine.

A spring evening in San Marco Square

]]> http://mysanmarco.com/2011/04/06/springtime-in-san-marco/feed/ 0 http://mysanmarco.com/2011/03/29/the-tag-block-party/ http://mysanmarco.com/2011/03/29/the-tag-block-party/#comments Tue, 29 Mar 2011 08:54:32 +0000 Jeannie http://mysanmarco.com/?p=1373

Take Away Gourmet, – TAG – San Marco Chef Matthew Medure’s answer to providing fine food you can take home (and cook there, or pick it up ready-made) or dine in, all at an affordable price, makes it easy for busy families (or couples, friends…anyone!) to enjoy  meals together – and leave the cooking to the professionals.  The food is excellent, and well-priced.  The food bar inside TAG offers an ‘all you can eat’ experience for just $12.50, or a pay-by-the-pound for $8.50.

Of course, TAG will also cater your parties or events; just visit Take Away Gourmet’s website here, and  peruse their menu for the Foodbar – dining in or taking out, along with their full catering menu replete with deliciously enticing food photography that might just have you planning a party before you leave the site.

A few times a year, Chef Matthew throws a block party, and everyone’s invited.  The TAG team grills up some meat and chicken, smoking hot and fresh, and puts together a lovely array of food and drink for guests, who gather outside in TAG’s parking lot, seating all about.  These block parties draw everyone from groups of friends,  families, and couples.  It’s a neighborhood thing, but of course, anyone from anywhere in town is welcome!   Chef Matthew is outside taking his turn at the grill and mingling with his guests.  

It was a pretty spring evening, and the block party was in full swing by 6:30pm.  A large, white tent top covered part of the seating area, and people mingled everywhere about the parking lot cum party space, having a great time.

This spring’s TAG block party happened to coincide with both St. Patrick’s Day and San Marco’s Affair in the Square.  The more the merrier – the TAG bash was a great success.    

A gorgeous spring evening, it was come as you are and everyone is welcome.  The Take Away Gourmet restaurant/take out experience has been great for those who live and work here.  A brilliant idea by Chef Matthew, whose elegant Matthew’s restaurant is just across the street, Take Away Gourmet is a different  approach dining-on-the-go.  Their block parties always have a great turnout, and this last one was no exception.  People love their locally-owned and locally-operated businesses.  These two restaurants have their own distinct niche, but have in common the talented and community-minded culinary entrepreneur Matthew Medure.  And he knows how to throw a great block party!

It was a beautifully mild spring evening, and the music in Balis Park started at 6:00pm.

The group, aptly named Little Green Men, were the evening’s musical entertainment.

Couples, friends, families – there was something for everyone and the mood was upbeat all evening long.  It was great to have that golden end-of-the-day light shining on the  young dancers from The Performers Academy  as they danced to the delight of the Balis Park audience.  A local studio for the performing arts, The Performer’s Academy is open to anyone who wishes to explore their creative side,with myriad programs for all ages and aspects of the arts.  The young dancers did not disappoint; it was delightful to watch them put an Irish spin on one of their numbers. Glance at their website as they’re  planning lots of opportunities for young people to participate in arts summer camps,  or other programs designed for people of all ages and inclination.

There was face painting by Pink Ivy for the kids, who always enjoy the artistry provided by the talented Pink Ivy team.

Pink Ivy Parties is so much more than merely artistic  face painters; they are a team of experience party and event planners with special features like pageant training, etiquette classes and more.  Check out the Pink Ivy Parties website for the full scoop on the scope of their business!  They’ve painted dozens of faces during the past six months of ‘Affair’ and kids (and a few grown ups too) just love it.  What child wouldn’t love their own face painter at a birthday party?  Just a thought!

The many wine and cheese tastings held in the and shops throughout the Square gave people a chance to see what’s new for spring in fashion in the boutiques.  Restaurants like Taverna were serving tables full of diners on their patio, as were others with sidewalk seating. It was the perfect night for an outdoor meal, and most restaurants offered some sort of special for the Affair on the Square.

San Marco Bookstore is a special place for any book lover – and having a locally owned,  independent bookstore is a treasure for any community.  William Matt Mahoney – yes, a local author,  was signing his book Of Time and Honored Distance, a lovely volume of poems, outdoors, in front of the shop.

People who love books love chatting with authors, and the San Marco Bookstore regularly features local authors who’ve often written about  the local community.

They have a great selection of local and regional books; vintage editions, and all the current titles.   If they don’t happen to carry something you want, they can hunt down the rare or obscure for you.  They know their readers.  This store also carries the broadest selection of Papyrus cards between Atlanta and Orlando!  If you haven’t seen a Papyrus card, you’re in for a treat –  they’re mini works-of-art.  San Marco Bookstore is always one of the wine tasting stops during the the ‘Affair’.

There were tiny tots dancing in front of the gazebo to the music of the Little Green Men in that adorably clumsy way  only the two-year-old crowd can pull off with such a lack of self-consciousness. Their smiling parents and onlookers enjoyed  the cute display of toddlers racing and dancing around the park, responding to the music with no rhythm whatsoever.  There was a ‘fishing for clover’ game set up in front of Woodside Lane and SMart Gallery and the little ones had a great time there, too.

During Affair in the Square the music can always be heard up and down the block,  and the gazebo was festooned with green swaths of ribbon winding around its pillars.      

The white Chinese lanterns were strung up along the sidewalk trees as usual, with bunches of green balloons at intervals: a nod to St. Patrick’s Day.   The Little Green Men, who actually aren’t so little, were an overall crowd pleaser from toddlers to adults. Great music sets the tone, lifts the spirits, puts everyone into a great mood. Families, couples without kids,  groups of friends enjoying dinner al fresco,  or people just making their way around the Square, browsing, talking, and having their passports stamped at each wine tasting table, there’s something special about the neighborhood get-together in the town square. And there’s always a winner of a San Marco shopping spree drawn from the collection of completed passports!

Our off-Square merchants are also always part of the ‘Affair’, with tables for their businesses arranged together along the sidewalk.  This month we welcomed a new member to the merchants association, Anytime Fitness. Their trainers were available to answer questions and talk about membership options and incentives.

Dance Trance, whose studio was recently featured in Southern Living magazine, was also on hand with their table display.  For people who want to start a fitness program,  or perhaps looking to change things up, there are so many options right here at home.  Sarah Marie Johnson of Bistro AIX was pouring the wine and sharing her knowledge with those who stopped for a taste.  

Dan Harris had his Photo Booth To Go set up on the sidewalk, offering free photos for all.  These old-school photo booths with today’s digital technology are trending now, and are a great idea to rent for private parties.  

This is the second time Dan’s offered the Photo Booth To Go for ‘Affair’ guests. It’s a lot of fun for those being photographed, and the audience gathered outside the booth, watching the experience on a closed-circuit TV!   Dan offers a table of props for those who want to vamp it up.  The end result – two strips of the four poses are printed immediately, in color, with digital perfection, and make a terrific souvenir for the guests who took advantage of it.

This month’s Affair in the Square marks six months of San Marco’s newest outdoor event that everyone can enjoy.  Jot it down now:  it’s the third Thursday of every month, and not just for San Marconians.  Call your friends who live in other parts of town.  Affair in the Square is a  ’go local’ event for all of Jacksonville.

It was a busy night throughout the Square; people thronging the streets from one end of the Square to the other.  The talented young dancers from San Marco’s own The Performers Academy showcased their skills in several numbers that delighted the audience, enjoying the show in Balis Park.

Since this month’s “Affair” coincided with St. Patrick’s Day, the dancers added a bit o’ the Irish mood to their performance!

Just come on out for great food,  ambiance, and to be part of the anticipation of the ‘night before the race’! It’s going to be a great weekend in San Marco!

Print your coupon off their Facebook page or here.  Just present it at any of the Pizza Palace locations, and they’ll honor it.  Are you hungry yet?