Downtown ArtWalk – First Wednesday of the Month

I wish I was all like,“Woohoo-As good as it gets” but really it’s not quite there. I like Art Walk. I used to go all the time. But after you go like 12 months out of the year, you realize it’s the same people over and over again with the same «art» and the same beer.
I do like it for what it is and that’s why it gets 4 stars. One day a month, you can go downtown and actually feel like you are in a city for a bit. Chew is open for dinner as is Moca. You can get a burrito at Burrito Gallery (yum) or just walk around and drink (well maybe you can’t walk with your beer anymore), but you can walk around buzzed.
It’s fun to chill with your friends and hang out downtown instead of just staying home and watching TV or play Rock Band… you have 3 other Wednesdays of the month you can do that.
Also, I can’t beleive I let Julie get a first on this thing, cuz I’ve been going for a long time and I’ve been a Unilocaler longer too!

For Review #200 (what? already?), I’ll review ArtWalk. This event makes usually sleepy Downtown come alive after hours. I love how every month, it actually feels like a city in this town. It’s not as jumping as it is when Gator festivities are here, but ArtWalk always draws a pretty good crowd.
There is so much to do during ArtWalk. A lot of restaurants that are usually open only for lunch extend their hours and MOCA keeps its doors open and visitors get in for FREE. Also, businesses in the area become temporary galleries for the night, displaying works from local artists.
The type of art usually featured in ArtWalk can range from realistic traditional styles to more modern and whimsical stuff. There are different types of art displayed from sculptures, paintings, photography, jewelry, etc.
The ArtWalk spans several blocks, but most of the action happens around Hemming Plaza and Burrito Gallery areas. I don’t know why.
Hemming Plaza becomes a hub buzzing with vendors and artists selling their goods and sometimes the drum circle is out there with the bellydancers or someone may be performing.
One spot to note is the old main library. It turns into a huge multi-​floor gallery where people display their paintings, photography, and other artworks. Another impromptu gallery is an old fire station right across the street.
Next door to the fire station is Burrito Gallery, which is the unofficial gathering for hungry art enthusiasts looking for a quick cheap eat (they really LOAD their burritos here!). Around the corner is another popular eatery, London Bridge. Bars are also doing special things during this event, but I haven’t yet been to a bar during ArtWalk (unless you count Burrito Gallery).
They used to allow people to walk around with open containers of alcohol, but I think that was changed. And there used to be free wine and snacks everywhere, but now some places charge for the wine. Crappy economy I guess.
If you miss this one, there are several other art walks around the area, such as the First Fridays in St. Augustine and another in Five Points and 3^rd Thursdays at the North Beaches Art Walk in Atlantic Beach.