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Friday, October 23, 2009

After 5 at Minnetrista presents Dr. Entomo's Sideshow

Join your friends at Minnetrista Friday, Oct. 30 from 6-9 pm and get creeped out by crawlies, scared by spiders, and itchy about insects while visiting Dr. Entomo's Palace of Exotic Wonders! Enjoy insect themed appetizers, a signature drink and a cash bar, buggy activities and much more! Don't miss this special event including some of the creepiest, cringiest bugs around.

Minnetrista has partnered with Muncie Young Professionals Group to create an after-work series of events called After 5 at Minnetrista. The series features food, drink, and fun activities to introduce people to Minnetrista and other professionals.

Must be 21+ to attend.

Cost: $10 per person.
Registration deadline: Monday, Oct. 26. Call (765) 213-3549.

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Located along historic White River, Minnetrista includes 40 acres of beautiful gardens and grounds, a modern museum facility, an historic home, Nature Area, numerous sculptures, and a portion of the Cardinal Greenway. Minnetrista serves East Central Indiana with dynamic community activities and exhibits that honor and reflect its natural and cultural heritage. For more information about Minnetrista, visit www.minnetrista.net.



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Tuesday, October 20, 2009

New Contemporary Art Gallery To Make Debut In Downtown Muncie: Art & Soul By Phoebe Art Gallery

Artist Phoebe Wantz is opening a new art gallery, Art and Soul by Phoebe Art Gallery, in Downtown Muncie.

The grand opening will be on Friday, October 30, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. with an artist reception starting at 6 p.m. at 409 South Walnut Street, downtown Muncie.

Ms. Wantz is a former art major at Ball State, but better known locally for her work in Community Theater, has currently turned her focus to her artistic talent and established a new contemporary art gallery, the "Art and Soul by Phoebe Art Gallery."

Wantz currently has about 100 completed canvases and these paintings cover a variety of eclectic themes - from Southwest art, religious themes, abstracts to nudes. One can tell by Wantz's work that the "Muse" has really taken her by storm, since she has painted all of these works since March, 2008. Her paintings recently took first, second and third place in acrylics at a juried art show at the Minnetrista Cultural Center.

Multi-media artist Michael DuQuette will be the artistic director and curator of the gallery. Mr. DuQuette recently moved to Muncie from Chicago where he received his BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Mr. DuQuette is a rare artist in that he displays convincing accomplishment both in abstract expressionism and a kind of "funk-neo-realism" with which he creates portraits, cityscapes/landscapes and other urban vistas in a decidedly off beat style which is visually provocative, compositionally exciting and wild with color. DuQuette has received several awards over the last 25 years and has shown his work nationally and internationally.

The gallery's Artist-in-Residence, Mrs. Hye-Sook JEE, will be the on-site studio artist creating traditional Korean paper art using only paper to form bowls, lamps, tables and sculptures. Ms. JEE and her family just recently moved to Muncie from Korea. Not only will the public be invited to enjoy her work, but to SEE her work.

This new art gallery's mission and motto is: "Artist First". Art and Soul by Phoebe Gallery will be focusing on the art and artists which includes low commissions on sales: 20% for established/up and coming artists and 10% for student artists (currently enrolled) with no membership fees, which is unheard of in traditional galleries.

The gallery will be providing a Senior High School Student Scholarship Program and month long show with the scholarship awarded in the late spring of 2010. Plus there will be monthly featured artists, periodic juried art shows, poetry readings, book signings, play readings, musical presentations and other artistic adventures in the future.

Tanglevine Crossing, of Farmland, Indiana, will also be adding some selected pieces to be displayed and sold at the Gallery.

This is an exciting opportunity for local and out-of-state artists to display their work while bringing the spirit of the arts to the Muncie community. The Art and Soul by Phoebe Art Gallery is seeking artists for upcoming shows located downtown at 409 S. Walnut Street. It is certain to be a showplace of fresh and exceptional talent. The gallery welcomes diverse, unique artistry encompassing all media forms. Interested artisans should contact Art and Soul by Phoebe Art Gallery at 765-288-0005.


Contact Information:
Phoebe Wantz, Owner/Artist/Director
Michael DuQuette, Artistic Director and Curator
Art and Soul by Phoebe Art Gallery
Phone: 765-288-0005 Cell: 765-717-5456
Email: artandsoulbyphoebegallery@gmail.com


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Friday, October 16, 2009

Farm Stand Deli Now Open in Downtown Muncie!

The Downtown Farm Stand has just opened The Farm Stand Deli, "a local organic eatery," inside their organic grocery at the corner of Mulberry and Main streets in Downtown Muncie.

The Farm Stand Deli is open Monday - Saturday 11:00 am - 7:00 pm, and will soon be open Sundays. Carryout available: Soups for carryout served in re-usable containers only (no disposables).

Delivery available to the immediate downtown area. Free Wi-Fi is also available at the store.

The Farm Stand Deli makes excellent sandwiches and wraps, has an all organic salad bar, homemade soups, and does fresh organic fruit and vegetable juicing. We will have a constantly changing menu and selection in our deli case. We have European, New York, Midwestern, and International influences in the food.

The everyday special is the $3 traditional taco! We make our tacos with outstanding fillings that change weekly. ALL OF OUR MEATS AND CHEESES are procured from local environmentally sustainable producers. We make all of our food from what we carry in our store! Daily specials are at the heart of what we do, we like to use what's fresh, good, and in-season....so all of our food is healthy and delicious!

The Basics ....

* Fruit and Vegetable juicing - All Organic! We take the work out of juicing for you! Try our delicious and healthy juices today! Ask us for suggestions!
* Two soup varieties that change throughout the week - One meat based, one vegetarian each day.
* A full salad bar! All organic. Get your salad dressings and sides of meat and cheese at the deli case.
* Three dollar tacos everyday with fillings that change often - Excellent and already popular. These are great everyday food - very filling, wholesome, delicious, all organic, and gluten free. Two makes a meal. Tell us if you like it spicy!
* Sandwiches and wraps - We have lots of great ideas for you here. We will have our own cherry wood smoked ham, 100% grass fed shaved roast beef, our gourmet balsamic Italian cold chicken (a delectable cold cut), homemade bean burgers, and our Farm Stand hummus everyday!
* Did I mention cheese? If you're a customer you know what to expect here from our amazing cheese suppliers. We can slice cheese and meat however you like!
* Specialty items like home made kimchi, will be available - just keep watching for more variety in the "wet" salads department.

What's special about us?

Over 40 local sustainable farms supply our store and deli! We are the only all local and organic eatery in all of East Central Indiana and beyond!

We are the only restaurant that has traditional tacos in Muncie. We sell tacos the way they are sold in a traditional taqueria.

We have the only fruit and vegetable juice bar in Muncie, and ours is 100% organic!

We are also the only delicatessen in Muncie and in all of Indiana that has created a new eco-gastronomical restaurant!

We are the only restaurant in Muncie that does not have a major national food distributor coming to our door such as Sysco or GFS. Our food is REAL!

All of our dishes are homemade from whole organic foods all of the time. We do all of the prep work!

Want more? How about the fact that the same comfortable family atmosphere and excellent service you've come to expect from The Downtown Farm Stand, you can now get at The Farm Stand Deli!

The Future ...

Soon we expect to be making our own in house corn tortillas. We also have the desire to make sausages - gourmet varieties that you can't get anywhere else. We have many ideas for great new foods for the deli case. Stay tuned ...

To our loyal supporters,

Thanks to everyone for your enthusiasm! You have supported us and now we are able to respond to your requests with a fully functioning delicatessen! Only our long time patrons know the years of planing and hard work that have gone into this process, and our wonderful customers have supported us throughout. What we have created is something entirely unique. The pure mission behind this venture is to help create a local, sustainable, and organic food system. We operate with a minimum amount of waste. As much of our food as is possible is purchased from local organic farms, and all other food is certified organic. We hear the food is sensational! There is nothing like The Farm Stand Deli anywhere around. We hope you brag to your friends about what you have here and we know that, properly utilized, it will increase your quality of life tremendously. This is your deli - we hope you enjoy it, watch it change and grow, and we look forward to your feedback!

Dave Ring

Downtown Farm Stand and Farm StandDeli
125 E Main St - Corner of Main and Mulberry
Downtown Muncie
765-288-3775

Now open 60 hours a week...
Monday - Friday 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
Saturday - 9:00 am - 7:00 pm
Sunday! 12 - 5 pm

Parking Info:
We have parking available on Main street in front of our door along the sidewalk! You can also park in the two hour FREE city lot right behind the building off of Jackson St and also in the surrounding parking lots. If you need help finding these areas just ask! Many people find we are very convenient if you need to get in and out quickly and do not have time to walk through a big parking lot and wander through a huge store. Additionally you can always find a friendly face to ask for help!


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Wednesday, October 07, 2009

The Basement Opens October 9 at Muncie Children's Museum

The haunting-season is upon us and the Muncie Children's Museum's The Basement is your portal to the dark and terrifying world of ghouls, werewolves and things that go bump in the night! The Muncie Children's Museum's Basement will open its doors on Friday, October 9.

The haunting season commences at the Muncie Children's Museum's on October 9, with The Basement! The faint of heart are not encouraged to attend The Basement to avoid being scared to death!

The Basement runs every Friday and Saturday from October 9 through October 31. The 2009 hours of operation are:

Friday, October 9 6:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 10 6:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Friday, October 16 6:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 17 6:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Friday, October 23 6:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 24 6:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Thursday, October 29 6:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Friday, October 30 6:00 - 11:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 31 6:00 - 11:30 p.m.

With help from students from the Ball State University Theatre Education Department, The Basement will transport you to the Netherworld. The Basement is being coordinated, for the fifth year in a row, by Professor Michael Daehn, of the Ball State Theatre Education Department, and his wife, Patti.

Admission to The Basement is $6.00 per person with all of the proceeds going to benefit the exhibits and programs at the MCM. With alarming and gory sights around every corner, The Basement is not recommended for children.

The Basement is sponsored by All Access, Elite Printing Services, Frank & Rosemary Ball, Gill Bros. Furniture, Great Deals magazine, Industrial Centre Federal Credit Union, Insight Consulting, McDonalds, Sight & Sound, Meijer, Mutual Bank, thestarpress.com, Vectren, WLBC, WERK, MAX and Yorktown Lodge No. 345.

For more information, visit www.munciechildrensmuseum.com or call 765.286.1660.

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The Muncie Children's Museum was founded in 1977, as a hands-on, educational and innovative museum for children. The museum is aimed at bringing educational and interactive entertainment to the children of East Central Indiana. The museum's exhibits are designed to be fun, raise questions, provoke interest and stimulate curiosity. The museum is located at 515 S. High St. in downtown Muncie. Museum hours are 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tuesday - Saturday and 1 - 5 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $6 per person ages 1 - 100.


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Monday, October 05, 2009

Muncie Music Fest Band Lineup

Don't miss Muncie MusicFest on Saturday, October 10 in the streets of Downtown Muncie! More than 60 bands will be featured at this gated, all-ages event, on multiple outdoor stages and in all of our downtown music venues.

For advance tickets, up-to-date band lineup and more information, visit munciemusicfest.com.


2009 Muncie MusicFest Lineup

FM Music Stage
6:00pm mike milligan and steam shovel
7:00pm wes moore
8:00pm Catch Curtis
9:00pm Eight Stories High
10:00pm Michael Martin Band
11:00pm The Middlemen
12:00am Rich Hardesty Band

Michelob Stage
6:00pm The Cowboy angels
7:00pm Awkward Silence
8:00pm A Bad Idea
9:00pm Moser Woods
10:00pm Midwest Hype
11:00pm Crusoe
12:00am Soraia

Heart of the City Stage
6:00pm Diagram Of Truth
7:00pm wormusic
8:00pm Ironworkers Guild
9:00pm Small Wonders
10:00pm Jenn Cristy
11:00pm The Embraceables
12:00am Rodeo Ruby Love

DJ Tent
8:00pm Random Art Projects
9:00pm Tiger Cub
10:00pm The Electrostatic Attraction
11:00pm justplainpaul
12:00am Amtrak

Doc's Music Hall
6:00pm The Bashville Boys
7:00pm Crazy Larry and the Dead Blues Band
8:00pm Mad Anthony
9:00pm Tax Brandywine
10:00pm Samesoul
11:00pm Shotgun Scooter
12:00am The Bonesetters
1:00am Dave Elwert

Center Stage
7:00pm In the Face of War
8:00pm Birth of Oceans
9:00pm Devils of Belgrade
10:00pm Cursed For Manners
11:00pm Losing September
12:00am Necrophagous

The Living Room
6:00pm The Poor Kids
7:00pm Violence Against Robots
8:00pm The Main Squeeze
9:00pm Rale
10:00pm Selifane Parade
11:00pm Jeffrey James
12:00am .Records.

The Heorot (downstairs)
8:00pm Anthony of Archer St.
9:00pm Derek Jones (solo)
10:00pm The Shawn Salmon Trio

The Heorot (upstairs)
9:00pm Dead End Drive In
10:00pm The Impetuous Impregnables
11:00pm Coinslot

The Blue Bottle
6:00pm Brian Chauncey / Bouncy Cassette
8:00pm bert n stu the folkie blues 2

The Fickle Peach
9:00pm Pray For Mojo

The Silo
7:00pm Dreams of University
8:00pm The Two Timers
9:00pm One Side Later
10:00pm Steely James
11:00pm Bleed Stone


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Thursday, October 01, 2009

Downtown Muncie to Host Craft Beer Festival

Muncie has become the craft beer capital of Indiana. According to area distributors, more craft beer is sold here than in Bloomington, Ft. Wayne, or even Indianapolis; and most of that is sold downtown. The Fickle Peach alone is the number one account for Bell's, Founder's, Magic Hat and Warbird; and the number two account for Three Floyds and Stone.

There's no better way to celebrate our status than to raise a glass - except maybe to raise 1,000 glasses. October 24th, 2009, Muncie will host the Muncie Brewfest, at the Horizon Convention Center's Interurban Hall. Over 20 breweries will be represented, as well as area distributors, home brew and brewpub suppliers, and some of Muncie's finest craft beer sellers.

In addition to great beer, there will be great food, live music by Cory Hill and Mikey Mason, a homebrew competition and live airing of the the best podcast ever, The Good Beer Show - all included in the $35 admission.

If a full day of tasting America's best beers isn't enough, the Fickle Peach will host a private VIP Reception, where - for an additional $15 - guests can mingle with brewers and beer geeks, taste some exclusive beers not available at the festival.

Proceeds from this event will benefit the Muncie Historic Preservation Commission and Muncie Downtown Development. If the goal of 1,000 attendees is reached, it will mean $20K for Historic Preservation to use for matching funds on grants that the office wouldn't otherwise be able to apply for; and $5K for Downtown Development, which will fund this year's New Year's Eve fireworks display.

The event is being presented by Light Up Muncie, and sponsored by the Fickle Peach, Cavalier Distributing, World Class Beverages, St. Gobain Containers, Hiatt Printing and Outfitter. The homebrew competition is sponsored by Great Fermentations, the Wine-N-Vine and Barley & Vine Brewery.

Event organizer and Light Up Muncie founder, Ty Morton, hopes to see more destination events like these in the future:

"There's no reason we shouldn't be having an event like this every month in Muncie. Whether it's craft beer, classic VWs, model trains, or whatever you're into; there are thousands of people out there that are into the same thing. Why not invite them here? While they're here, they'll shop, eat, rent a room, etc.," Morton says. "Plus, it's not that hard to put these things together. There are lots of people here that are eager to help."

Cheryl Crowder, Program Manager and Event Director for Heart of the City:

"We are very excited to be one of the beneficiary of the proceeds from this event. We look forward to utilizing the funds to bring a fireworks show to our family friendly New Year's Eve Celebration in Downtown Muncie. Downtown has always been focused on offering an exceptional experience to visitors, something out of the ordinary. This year's Muncie Brewfest, its organizers and sponsors are great Downtown ambassadors for quality product and an exceptional experience. We are glad to share in their vision."

Bill Morgan, Muncie Historic Preservation Officer:

"The recent Governor’s Arts Awards at Muncie’s Cornerstone Center for the Arts proves that this town can throw a great party. Proceeds from this benefit will provide the match for us to seek federal grants that will continue the redevelopment of our historic downtown and help us save our endangered historic treasures. Drink beer and do good!"

For more information about the festival, or to purchase tickets, visit the website at http://www.munciebrewfest.com.

Light Up Muncie, Inc. (http://www.lightupmuncie.com) is dedicated to developing new ways to address the problems of financing community enhancement initiatives in today's economy. By harnessing the power of many smaller contributions – small potatoes – LUM helps local organizations raise the resources they need, and do so in a manageable way that has low impact on contributors.

For more information, contact Ty Morton at (765) 749-0652, or via email at ty@lightupmuncie.com.


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