Guinness St. Patrick's Day Festival & Parade
On Saturday March 13th, 2010, Downtown Wilmington welcomes two of the most popular cultural events of the year in the Annual Guinness St. Patrick’s Day Festival and the Friends of the Hibernians 11th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Festivities kick off with the St. Patrick’s Day Parade at 11:00am. The route starts off at Red Cross, bringing it south down N.2nd St., then down Dock St. to Water, and then north back up to Red Cross. The parade will approximately last for one hour.

Immediately following the parade, from 12:00 to 7:00pm, the Guinness St. Patrick’s Day Festival happens at Riverfront Park, on Water Street, in front of the Federal Building. The festival is a free and open event to all. Festivities include live music, Irish dancers, cultural vendors, and food & beer sales. Some of the live entertainment will include the Wilmington Police Pipes & Drums band, The Blarney Broughs, The Molly Malones, Out on the Ocean, and The Malones. This is a “Rain or Shine” event. In the event of rain, the festival will be moved to underneath the Water Street Deck, across from the Hilton Hotel, a ½ block north down Water St.

Sponsors to these events include Friends of the Hibernians, Downtown Business Alliance, CoolWilmington.com, Guinness Beer, Encore Magazine, The Penguin 106.7, The Bone 103.7, and the City of Wilmington.

For more information on the St. Patrick’s Day Parade contact Steve McEnaney at
(910)686-5498 or Steveandconniemc@aol.com

For more information on the Guinness St. Patrick’s Day Festival contact Chris Andrews at (216)374-8884 or citybuddha@hotmail.com

6th Annual Rims on the River
Rims on the River is an annual event that takes place this year on April 16-18th, 2010. The show is in Downtown Wilmington, North Carolina. Cars and motorcycles dating 1980 and older line the streets of the historic downtown area, with the Cape Fear River and the diverse collection of retail stores as their backdrop. This event has grown into a premier show, drawing a wide array of cars from the entire southeast region of the state, as well as a few neighboring states, totaling approximately 500 vehicles on display last year!

As in previous years, we will be giving away trophies for various classes of cars and motorcycles.

Admission charge for vehicles is only a low $5.00, which covers the expenses of producing such a large and fun event.

The event will be south on Front St. all the way down to Orange St. We will also expand North on Front St. to Cape Fear Community College.

Now that the formalities are out of the way, let’s get down to the nitty gritty!

Friday April 16th - This year we have some big surprises in the entertainment area. It all starts with "Welcome to Rims on the River" pre-event parties. Local downtown venues will be hosting a variety of live bands welcoming you all to a weekend of awesome live music and cool cars, hot rods, and motorcycles! Venues include Fat Tony's, The Soapbox, 16 Taps, Hell's Kitchen, and The Front Street Brewery. For a total listing of bands, visit the official Rims website, www.rimsontheriver.com.

Saturday April17th - Now we're just getting started! Car placement begins at 9:00am with the car show beginning at 11:00am, and going til 5:00pm. Last year we had just over 500 vehicles, and this year we're expecting more! Be sure to check out the radio controlled car pit at Princess and N.Front St.. The car show wraps up with awards presentation. Another big addition to this years event is the Rims on the River Free Concert! Yes Sir, we did say FREE! The concert is being held down at Riverfront Park on Water St., across from the Federal Building on the Cape Fear River. Headlining this concert is North Carolina's favorite, Southern Culture on the Skids, this band is sure to get the party kickin! Supporting SCOTS is the Dex Romweber Duo, and for those of you who may not know Dex was part of the famous Flat Duo Jets. The Straight 8's will be laying down some serious rockabilly rumblin, and Wilmington's own, The Noseriders will be setting things straight with surfin instrumentals. This show is gonna set a precedence for shows to come! Following the concert, the party continues on with post parties at all of the aforementioned venues, with more great live acts.

Sunday April 18th - We invite you all back downtown for “Rims on the River Hot Rod Lunch and Brunch”. Stop down for some good eats at all our favorite restaurants, and let’s start talking about next years show! All Rims on the River restaurants will be listed on the official website, so be sure to check out the listing.

Oh, we almost forgot to mention that we’ll also have the 150’ tallship “Peacemaker” docked at Riverfront Park, for free tours of the ship, all weekend. They’re really nice folks, and they basically work off of tips, so show your appreciation of them being there.

As in last year, we will be hosting “The Corral”. This area will consist of several things. We will have one part of this area set up with vehicles that are for sale. Anyone wishing to sell their vehicle, will check the appropriate space on the sign up form, bring their own, “For Sale” sign, and be able to sell their car in this promoted area, no fees!

We will also have some vending in this area, anything that is car related. Tinting, car artwork, cleaning products, engines, clothing, etc.

Anyone that is interested in vendor space please contact me for a sign up form (or download the form, below). Vendor space will cost $75.00 for a 10’ X 10” space. Vendors will have to provide their own tents, tables, etc...The Corral will be located at the corner of Princess St. and N. Front St., where the old Wachovia Bank building was located.

If you’re coming in from out of town, be sure to stay at the Inn Keeper Hotel, at 5345 Market St, conveniently off of the I-40 exit, as soon as you enter Wilmington. Be sure to let them know that you’re in town for the Rims on the River show, and they’ll give you a discounted room for $55.00 + tax. Call 910-799-4292, Amanda Johnson, General Manager.

We’d like to thank all of our major sponsors, who have become the backbone of this great event, Advance Auto Parts, Fat Tony’s Italian Pub, Britt’s Motorsports, R.A.Jeffreys Distribution/Budweiser, if you get a chance be sure to tell them how much you appreciate their kind support of this event and of our downtown community!

Also big Thanks goes out to WECT & FOX26, Encore Magazine, AdPak, The Penguin 106.7 & The Bone 103.7, Star News, Slice of Life, Live Wire Powdercoating, Cape Fear Community College, Cape Fear Roller Girls, and Inn Keeper Hotels.

For more updates, please check www.rimsontheriver.com

Bottega Bar and Gallery
Bottega Bar and Gallery
208 N.Front St.
Wilmington, NC 28401
(910) 763-3737


MUSIC & EVENTS:

6/30: 7pm Creative Women’s Exchange

7/1: Josh Moore free

7/1: 7pm weekly wine tasting with Steve Gibbs free

7/2: Nash McIntyre free

7/3: The Trio (ft. mandolin player Tony Williamson) free

7/4: 4th of July Celebration with The Clams free

7/5: Fully Automatic Sound Machine DJ’s and bartends all night

7/7: Atlantis Journal Open Mic Poetry

7/8: Roger Davis & Ron Wilson free

7/8: 7pm weekly wine tasting with Steve Gibbs

7/9: 6 Poets poetry reading

7/9: Wilmington Writers Forum

7/10: Jim Seem free

7/10: Melissa Hyman free

7/11: J Miners free

7/12: Fully Automatic Sound Machine DJ’s & bartends all night