“Go west, young man, and grow up with the country.”
Scratch that.
This Saturday, the Franklinton Development Association invites everyone to Go West (West Broad Street, that is) and grow up with the city.
Go West is Franklinton’s annual art and music block party, and everyone is welcome. For the third consecutive year, downtown Franklinton will transform vacant buildings into art galleries, a parking lot into a concert venue, and for only the second time in its 20-year history, Tommy’s Diner will stay open late for dinner.
The Franklinton Arts District (FAD) conjured up Go West as a way to make creative, temporary use of the vacant structures in the area now known as Downtown Franklinton. The Go West celebration is a complement to their end of summer festival, Urban Scrawl. Franklinton Development Association (FDA) is taking the lead to organize this year’s event, but this tremendous neighborhood party could not happen without a little help from their friends. Also in cahoots for this shindig are Tommy’s Diner and Franklinton Cycleworks. Go West would not be possible without the United Way Neighborhood Partnership Grant that provides funding for neighborhood specific community services projects.
So what the heck is Go West anyway? Why is it imperative that you join the hundreds of revelers in Downtown Franklinton on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in June? Aside from being an active participant in an urban neighborhood on the cusp of long-overdue revitalization, there is art and beer and live local music and the awesome Franklinton burger at Tommy’s Diner and beer (I think I may have mentioned the beer). On this particular day, drinking beer benefits Franklinton. The beer truck will be serving up brews all day long from local favorites Pabst Blue Ribbon and Neil House Brewery. Local business Franklinton Cycleworks will reap the proceeds from this year’s beer sales. The Cycleworks provide a neighborhood bicycle co-op, bicycle repair and restoration, and bicycle education for children and adults in Franklinton.
And then there’s the music. The lineup this year is chock full of some of the best music makers in Columbus. And because neighborhood and community are so important to this event, bands with ties to the neighborhood are in the spotlight. Old Hundred, Rosehips, and Absolute Groove Ensemble all have band members living in Franklinton. The always impressive Wet Darlings and The Spruce Campbells round out the day. For the second year running, Tommy’s Diner has generously donated the entire lot behind their restaurant for your music listening pleasure.
This party started as an art event, and 2011’s Go West is no exception. The (Install) Art Exhibition at 937 W. Broad, organized by Chris Sherman and Nikos Rutkowski, will explore concepts of installation art. 922 W. Broad features an exhibition of recent student work hosted by Beth Blostein and FAD member Bart Overly entitled “Columbus High Definition.” Featured work is from Beth Blostein’s fall seminar, “Columbus Undefined,” which investigated ideas for evolution or revolution within the City of Columbus. Also featured is Bart Overly’s spring graduate design studio exploring ideas for a youth hostel and boutique hotel on a site near the Discovery District. Even the Franklinton Development Association offices next door turn into gallery space for a day, showing art exclusively by Franklinton residents. There are also activities outside for kids. Revelers of all ages are welcome.
So let’s recap the details. The shindig starts at 4pm, sharp. Get there early, so you don’t miss one band, one piece of art, or a slice of pie at Tommy’s. Admission is totally free, but Tommy will charge you for the pie. It’s a family-friendly neighborhood party, but do bring your ID and make sure you’re 21 if you plan to drink. And it’s for a good cause, so please do enjoy a beer or two. And in case you missed it, here’s that amazing band line-up again.
- Absolute Groove Ensemble
- Rosehips
- The Spruce Campbells
- The Wet Darlings
- Old Hundred
So Go West ladies and gents, and I’ll see you all in Franklinton!
Lauren Wilson is a featured writer for Columbus Underground and all comments, suggestions, requests, and boozin’ invites can be forwarded to [email protected].
