Cheers to Downtown Arlington!

At “Crafting the Future,” Crowds Toast to the new Interurban craft beer collaboration, to Urban Art, to Builders of Dreams, and to a Bright Future for Downtown

On Saturday, Sept. 8, the Downtown Arlington Management Corporation hosted its 11^th annual meeting at the Arlington Museum of Art, and it was cause for celebration on many fronts.

[caption id="attachment_24060" align="img-wrapleft" width="261"] Treva Gilkey creates a one-of-a-kind art piece at Crafting the Future.[/caption]

Crafting the Future: A Celebration of Vitality, Creativity and Innovation immersed attendees in a lively, art-filled experience designed to emphasize Downtown’s many strengths and growing momentum as an economic, arts, education and innovation hub.

“By holding the event on a weekend night instead of a weekday,” said Aldo Fritz, President and CEO of DAMC, “we highlighted a special side of Downtown Arlington’s personality. Downtown is designated by the State of Texas as the Arlington Cultural District, which means we’re a 24/7 destination of arts, culture and entertainment.”

Crafting a Vibrant, Creative, Innovative Downtown

The 2018 DAMC Annual Report, which was distributed at the event, highlights specific examples of this growing momentum as did this video celebrating the new Downtown Arlington Urban Art Movement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfaIwajXnt0&feature=youtu.be

Since September 2017, for instance, there were over 622,500 visits to six of Downtown’s top cultural destinations, including the Levitt Pavilion, Theatre Arlington, UTA Box Office events, Arlington Music Hall (including Symphony Arlington), Arlington Museum of Art, and Dance Theatre of Arlington. Over 81,400 people attended three of Downtown’s most recent annual outdoor events, including the Holiday Lights Parade, Downtown Arlington Music Fest, and Light Up Arlington.

[caption id="attachment_23242" align="img-wrapleft" width="260"] Opening Day, new Downtown Library[/caption]

Fifteen new businesses and development projects were completed in Downtown since September 2017, including:

• 101 Center
• 4 Kahunas Tiki Lounge
• Board & Brush Creative Studio
• City of Arlington Council Chamber
• George W. Hawkes Downtown Library
• Growl
• Panera, UTA College Park District
• Park 7
• Science and Engineering Innovation and Research Building, UTA
• The Commons and West Hall, UTA West Campus
• The Tipsy Oak
• Truth Vinyl
• Union Worx
• Urban Alchemy Coffee + Wine Bar

DAMC’s Pop-Up! Partner program, which was launched in January 2018, has attracted and supported nearly 20 pop-up enterprises that have never before taken place in Downtown. Pop-Up! Partner events have included Happy Goat Yoga, SSK/Sip, Sip, Knit at Urban Alchemy, Tai Chi at the Levitt Pavilion, Urban Traders Market, Downtown Bike Crawl, Bark & Brew Pop Up Dog Park and Beer Garden, and the VIP Mural Dedication + Brewing Arts Festival.

To request a copy of the 2018 DAMC Annual Report, contact Katie Gosa.

Unveiled: The 2018 Dream Builder and The Interurban Ale

At Crafting the Future, long-time community leader Terry Bertrand was presented with the Downtown Arlington Dream Builder award from DAMC and DAMC premier partner, Texas Trust Credit Union. Bertrand joins Tom Cravens and Lana Wolff as the third recipient of the Downtown Arlington Dream Builder award.

“Through the Dream Builder award,” said Debi Knoblock, Assistant Vice President for Business and Community Engagement at Texas Trust. “we can shine a light on what is going on with the DAMC and highlight the people that are making Arlington the American Dream City.”

[caption id="attachment_24062" align="img-wrapleft" width="261"] Tami Wadlington and Curt Taylor lead the audience in a toast to their Interurban craft beer collaboration in honor of Downtown Arlington.[/caption]

Tami Wadlington of Division Brewing and Curt Taylor of Legal Draft Beer Co., two locally-owned breweries within blocks of each other in Downtown, joined forces with DAMC and created their first-ever craft beer collaboration. Attendees at Crafting the Future were the first to taste the results. The name for the series, The Interurban brown ale, is an homage to the rail line that ran between Dallas and Fort Worth in the early 1900s with Arlington as the primary stop along the way.

The Interurban will be available at both Division Brewing and Legal Draft for a limited time. Ten percent of the proceeds from sales will provide funding for more public art and placemaking in Downtown through the Downtown Arlington Urban Art Movement.

About Downtown Arlington

Designated by the State of Texas as the Arlington Cultural District, Downtown Arlington blends a unique mix of activities, sights, tastes and sounds that attract visitors and locals alike. Within its less than a two-mile radius, Downtown is home to a top tier public research university, prolific fine and performing artists and arts institutions, live entertainment, exciting NCAA and professional athletics, one-of-a-kind dining and retail, and a supportive business climate.