Following The Exciting Debate Watch Party…The Next Great Community Event To Be Staged In Downtown Boca: The Destination’s Second Annual Free Street-Filling “Meet Me On The Promenade”

Public Is Invited To Come Early, Stay Late Where
Something For Everyone Awaits At The Two-Night, One-Day Fest
That Returns With Plenty Of “Friends & Family” Fun,
Ongoing Live Entertainment, New Programming And
Saturday Afternoon Halloween Happenings! October 26-27, 2012

Just days after the history-making Rock the Vote concert and presidential debate watch party in Downtown Boca, the second annual “Meet Me On The Promenade” event takes center stage as “the next big thing.” The free two-night, one-day street fest featuring the downtown destination’s best  is held from Friday, October 26th from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Saturday, October 27th from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. with Sanborn Square serving as the event hub (71 North Federal Highway).  On-going activities are scheduled along the Promenade and the areas that it connects such as Palmetto Park Road, N.E. First Avenue, Boca Raton Road, Mizner Park and more.

The fest that drew 14,000 last year returns…now even more stroll-able, bike-able, shop-able, and dine-able with continuous live entertainment, plenty of “friends & family” fun, and staged “Fall For Downtown Boca” keepsake photo opportunities both inside a gigantic “walk in” commemorative globe and next to the Office Depot Tony Stewart NASCAR show car. There will be Family and Sports Zones, themed villages, a Doggie Depot, classic and antique car showcases, an artists and crafters expo, and more. Saturday afternoon and evening features a memorable schedule of Halloween Happenings! including a costume contest for children and families, a pet costume showcase, shop-to-shop “trick or treating”, early family dining specials and “Happy Halloween Hours”, BeetleJuice’s Rock ‘N Roll Monster Revue and “after parties” at participating Downtown Boca pubs and clubs.

ARRIVE BY CAR OR BIKE, PLENTY OF PARKING AVAILABLE
While there will be plenty of free event parking available, avid cyclists are encouraged to “bike it” and head to the VIB (Very Important Bicyclist) Parking, complete with safety seminars and bike check-ups, sponsored and hosted at Comerica Bank (1 South Federal Highway, corner of South Federal Highway and East Palmetto Park Road) on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Complimentary “jump on, jump off” trolley service throughout the festival will run Friday from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. and on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to  11:00 p.m.

OPENING NIGHT FESTIVITIES:
HEADLINER AMBER LEIGH, GLEE-STYLE NATIONALLY COMPETITIVE
HIGH SCHOOL SHOW CHOIR, SPORTS ZONE, FAMILY PLAYGROUND,
COCKTAILS-4-CHARITY, AND MORE
The free, open-to-the-public opening festivities at Sanborn Square will feature live entertainment headlined by Amber Leigh, South Florida’s “Female Artist of the Year”. Opening for Amber will be the debut of Glee-style performances by the nationally competitive Olympic Heights Community High School 2013 Show Choir and the Hip Hop Kidz following the official event kick-off ceremonies by the Mayor, City Council and Lynn University cheerleaders. The Sports Zone sponsored by Allianz Championship will include an inflatable driving range, an 88-foot street hockey rink by the Florida Panthers; parents and children will enjoy an inflatable family playground sponsored by Lesser, Lesser, Landy & Smith at the Family Zone and more.

Festivities include the debut of branded beverage stations serving three signature cocktails, Boca Downtowner PINK (pink-tini), RED (red-tini) and BLUE (blue-tini) to benefit the American Cancer Society, Office Depot Foundation, and Junior League of Boca Raton as part of Cocktails-4-Charity sponsored by Downtown Boca with mixology by Potions in Motion. Additional Friday night features include gourmet truck “curbside food courts”, early dining and happy hour specials by participating restaurants, extended hours at shops and dining venues and ‘after parties’ held at participating Downtown Boca pubs and clubs and more.

SATURDAY: 
A JAM-PACKED SCHEDULE OF PROGRAMMING AND HALLOWEEN HAPPENINGS 
Saturday morning starts early with the American Cancer Society’s (ACS) 11th Annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk that begins at the Mizner Park Amphitheater with registration at 7:30 a.m. and routes walkers along Palmetto Park Road to A1A and back. Meet Me On The Promenade programming immediately follows the ACS walk, with mid-afternoon excitement of a Halloween Happenings! festivities running into the night with “after parties” at participating area clubs and pubs.

Through a fun “Stroll, Shop & Savor” self-tour, event-goers will get plenty of opportunity to explore and enjoy the eclectic live-work-play-stay features of Boca's new generation Downtown for all generations via event programming designed for navigating easily through Downtown Boca's community assets: dining, shopping, fashion, culture, family fun, pet-friendly living and nightlife as well as all the Meet Me On The Promenade scheduled activities and programming, entertainment, retail and dining discounts and giveaway offerings, showcasing all there is to see and do along the Promenade and the areas that it connects.

There will be ongoing live entertainment across three event stages; memory-making commemorative globe photo stops; Family Zone sponsored by Office Depot Foundation with inflatable playground, Office Depot NASCAR show car, interactive programming and children’s activities; Sports Zone sponsored by Allianz Championship with inflatable driving range, interactive play, basketball hoop, mascot appearances and giveaways; Classic & Antique Car Showcases featuring award-winning rides such as a 1959 Cadillac convertible and Ford Thunderbird; pet-lovers Doggie Depot hosted by mod.dog grooming salon and boutique; Artists and Crafters Village; debut of 34-foot pirate ship and “A Day in the Life of a Pirate” show (admission applies); Community Corner nonprofit showcase; Health-Full Community; Chamber Village; Gourmet Truck Expo “curbside food courts”; sponsored beverage stations featuring the debut of official Boca Downtowner signature cocktails benefiting nonprofits; Green Market; and, beginning at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, “Halloween Happenings”.

The family-friendly Halloween Happenings throughout the Promenade locale will include a children’s and family costume contest at the Family Zone, pet costume show at Stage 2 (registration required at Doggie Depot), shop-to-shop “trick-or-treating” at participating restaurants and retailers displaying the special event decal in its window, early dining and “Happy Halloween Hour” specials at participating restaurants and BeetleJuice’s Rock & Roll Monster Revue on the main entertainment stage in Sanborn Square.

“This year’s event is even more collaborative, as Downtown Boca partners with the American Cancer Society, area businesses, programming partners, sponsors and area nonprofits to make this a community fest with Halloween Happenings to long remember,” said Boca Raton Community Redevelopment Agency Chair and City Council Member Constance Scott. “We encourage everyone to come early, stay late…where something for everyone awaits.”

“Meet Me On The Promenade returns as the perfect example of successful public/private partnership engagement as is hosted by the Boca Raton Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA); developed and implemented by the City's branding and marketing consultants; produced by City staff; supported by the connectivity, participation and collaboration of Downtown Boca businesses and completely underwritten by community stakeholders and partners who understand the important impact a vibrant Downtown community has on lifestyle and economic benefits for an entire community and destination,” said Scott. She added that more than 14,000 event-goers filled the streets of the Promenade during the inaugural event, driving new business to the participating retailers, salons, spas, boutiques, restaurants, galleries and more.

Meet Me On The Promenade Sponsors include: Office Depot Foundation; Multi Image Group; the City of Boca Raton; Sun-Sentinel Events; Forum Publishing Group; Kaye Communications, Inc.; Mizner Park/General Growth Properties; Allianz Championship; RAM; Comerica Bank; Coldwell Banker; Lesser, Lesser, Landy & Smith, PLLC; Penn-Florida; Boca Raton Travel & Cruises; Tucci’s Pizza; and the Rotary Club Downtown Boca Raton.

Programming and Community Partners to date include: AVR Depot; Art Attack!; Potions In Motion; Gourmet Truck Expo; the American Cancer Society; Florida Panthers; Miami Dolphins; Boca Raton Children’s Museum; several public and private schools including Olympic Heights High School, Grandview Preparatory School, FAU Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine; Spirit of Giving Network; Junior League of Boca Raton; Boca Raton Museum of Art; Boca Raton Historical Society;  Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce; Palm Beach County Convention & Visitors Bureau; Penn-Florida; mod.dog Grooming Salon & Boutique; Sol Children Theatre Troupe; Dancing Classrooms; Hip Hop Kidz; Showtime Performing Arts Theatre; Lynn University; Boca Raton Greenmarket; YMCA of South Palm Beach County; Linda Alfieri Salon; W.A.T.C.H. Foundation; Fred Astaire Dance Studio Boca Raton; Sunflower Creative Arts; Community Blood Centers of Florida, Inc.; Dubliner; The Funky Biscuit; Platforms Dance Club; Biergarten Boca Raton; nonprofit organizations; and media including South Florida Parenting, Boca Raton Forum, West Boca Forum, Coral Springs Forum, Delray Forum, City Link, Boca Piquant, Boca Raton Tribune; The Coastal Star; South Florida Sunrise, LivingFLA.com; and more.

For updates on Meet Me On The Promenade and other Downtown Boca events, visit DowntownBoca.org often, become of a Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/DowntownBoca or call 561-367-7070.

Save The Date: The Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine "Your Medical School" Gala, January 5, 2013

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Thousands Celebrated At Downtown Boca’s Friday Night Live! “Brazilian Beat” Brazil’s Independence Day Festivities

Spirited “Dancin’ In The Street” Program Featured Zumba Showcase, Capoeira Dancers, Carnival Dancers And Drummers, Performances By Batuke Samba Funk, Rose Max, And More











About 10,000 South Florida residents and visitors, from all Miami to the Treasure Coast, flocked to Downtown Boca, “where Boca and Brazil planned to meet to celebrate the Brazilian Beat” as the destination presented this month’s Friday Night LIVE! salute to Brazil’s Independence Day with free, open-to-the-public festivities.

Event-goers of all ages were dancin’ in the streets, enjoying the live Brazilian music and entertainment, including award-winning singer Rose Max and fan-favorite Batuke Samba Funk. The packed spirited schedule also featured Capoeira dancers, Carnival drummers and dancers, a Zumba demonstration, DJ Fred, shopping, dining, art, fashion and more. The popular Gourmet Truck Expo with café seating, Potions in Motion and Baja Café with Leblon served up Brazilian favorites as participating businesses extended hours for exploring and enjoying the destination, from Mizner Park to Royal Palm Place, including the signature collection of shops and boutiques, restaurants and galleries.

Downtown Boca and the City of Boca Raton hosted the festivities in partnership with the Consulate General of Brazil in Miami, the Palm Beach County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Friday Night LIVE! series presenting sponsor JM Lexus, Banco do Brasil as the evening’s Official Programming Sponsor, plus the Rotary Club of West Boca Raton, Leblon, Café Brasil 88.9 FM, Boca Tribune, Gazeta Brazilian News and Acontece Magazine. During the evening, Boca Raton Mayor Susan Whelchel alongside Deputy Mayor Susan Haynie and Community Redevelopment Agency Chair and Council Member Constance Scott welcomed Ambassador Helio Victor Ramos, Consulate General of Brazil in Miami and presented him with the key to the City of Boca Raton and a proclamation. Following remarks from the Ambassador, both the Star-Spangled Banner and the Brazilian National Anthem were played.

Batuke Samba Funk, a unique collective of musicians from Brazil and Miami, then took the stage to perform the classic samba/soul sound originating in Rio de Janiero in the late 1960s. The group combined the percussive grooves of Brazilian samba with the funk rhythms of American legends like James Brown and Earth, Wind & Fire. Batuke Samba Funk was founded in 2008 by bassist extraordinaire Diogo Olivera and features a revolving cast of the very finest musicians playing guitars, bass, drums, vocals and Afro-Brazilian percussion. As a signature element of the show, the band erupted into a samba jam session using traditional Brazilian drums as well as recycled objects such as cans, buckets and scrap metal to create a joyous carnival atmosphere.

Rose Max, “South Florida’s favorite Brazilian singer,” followed Batuke Samba Funk with her mesmerizing guitarist Ramatis Moraes. They “fired up” the streetside dance floor with authentic, classic samba music inspired by the nightclubs of Rio de Janiero accompanied by a pulsating band and a lively percussion section. Max’s talent and performance has earned her several Miami New Times “Best of” awards as well as three Brazilian International Press Awards.

For the full photo gallery from the evening and updates on other Downtown Boca news and upcoming events such as the free, family-friendly Meet Me On The Promenade: Downtown Boca two-night, one-day street fest with plenty of Halloween Happenings! programming on October 26th and 27th, visit www.DowntownBoca.Org often, become of a Facebook fan at http://www.facebook.com/DowntownBoca or call 561-367-7070.

Popular Free Street-Filling “Meet Me On The Promenade” Two-Night, One-Day Fest Featuring Downtown Boca’s Best Returns With An Abundance Of New Programming And Halloween Happenings October 26-27, 2012

Stroll-able, Bike-able, Shop-able, and Dine-able, Event Stages, Plenty Of “Friends & Family” Fun With VIB (Very Important Bike) Parking,
Family and Sports Zones, Themed Villages, Halloween Costume Contests,
Shop-to-Shop Trick-Or-Treating, BeetleJuice’s Rock ‘N Roll Monster Revue,
Staged Keepsake Photo Opportunities, And More

BOCA RATON, FL (September 10, 2012)— Following the recent spirited Friday Night LIVE! Brazilian Beat festivities hosted by Downtown Boca that drew 10,000 to celebrate Brazil’s Independence Day, Downtown Boca ramps up for its second annual Meet Me On The Promenade free two-night, one-day street-filling community fest set for Friday, October 26th from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday, October 27th from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Complete with street-filling live entertainment, great shopping and dining specials, family activities, staged keepsake photo opportunities (including next to the Office Depot Tony Stewart NASCAR shoe car), and more, this year’s event will have a festive Halloween twist with a Downtown Boca Halloween costume contest, shop-to-shop “trick or treating”, Happy Halloween Hours and early family dining specials, and a BEETLEJUICE’S Rock ‘N Roll Monster Revue. Through a fun “Stroll, Shop & Savor” self-tour, event-goers will get plenty of opportunity to explore and enjoy the eclectic live-work-play-stay features of Boca's new generation Downtown for all generations via event programming designed for discovering all there is to see and do along the Promenade and the areas that it connects such as Palmetto Park Road, N.E. First Avenue, Boca Raton Road, Mizner Park and Royal Palm Place.

Throughout the fest, there will be an on-going schedule of live entertainment; family-friendly interactive programming and festivities; cultural, wellness and nonprofit showcases; sports and games programming; an artists and crafters expo; a Boca Chamber Village; restaurant food tastings, demos and special Promenade weekend menus; trunk shows; art gallery shows; guided and self-walking tours of Historic Downtown Boca; “chances to win”, staged commemorative photo opportunities and more.

Participating shops and restaurants will be extending their hours into the late evening with ‘after parties’ held at Downtown Boca clubs and pubs. Event-goers will find plenty of free parking with complimentary trolley pick up and drop off to these locations during event hours, as well as the Comerica VIB (Very Important Bike) Parking Center at the bank’s Downtown Boca branch (where East Palmetto Park Road meets Federal Highway) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday.

Friday night will feature live “Glee-full” entertainment and live bands, introduction of official Boca Downtowner signature cocktails, and a staged “Fall For Downtown Boca” keepsake photo op for event goers inside a gigantic “walk in” commemorative globe. The evening festivities will kick off with the attendees joining in the official Downtown Boca Bop line dance led by the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Boca Raton that choreographed and debuted the popular dance at last year’s inaugural Meet Me On The Promenade event. Saturday morning starts early with the American Cancer Society’s 11th Annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk that begins at the Mizner Park Amphitheater and routes walkers through Downtown Boca along Palmetto Park Road to AIA and back. Meet Me On The Promenade programming throughout the Downtown immediately follows the ACS Walk, with mid-afternoon excitement of a Halloween Happenings! festivities running into the night with after parties at area clubs and pubs.

“This year’s enjoyable event will be even more walk-able, stroll-able, shop-able, dine-able and now bike-able, as Downtown Boca collaborates with the American Cancer Society, area businesses, programming partners, sponsors and area nonprofits to make this a community fest with Halloween Happenings! to long remember,” said Boca Raton Community Redevelopment Agency Chair and City Council Member Constance Scott. “We encourage everyone to come early, stay late…where something for everyone awaits.”

According to City of Boca Raton Downtown Manager Ruby Childers, a “Stroll, Shop & Savor” Downtown Boca self-guided tour program will help attendees  navigate easily through Downtown Boca's community assets: dining, shopping, fashion, culture, family fun, living, and nightlife and all the Meet Me On The Promenade scheduled activities and programming, entertainment, retail and dining discounts, and giveaway offerings. Participating retailers and restaurants will remain open late, and trolleys will run continually during Meet Me On The Promenade activities. Showcasing the eclectic live-work-play-stay features of Boca's new generation Downtown for all generations, Meet Me On The Promenade event programming is designed for discovering all there is to see and do along the Promenade.

“Meet Me On The Promenade returns as the perfect example of successful public/private partnership engagement as is hosted by the Boca Raton Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA); developed and implemented by the City's branding and marketing consultants; produced by City staff; supported by the connectivity, participation and collaboration of Downtown Boca businesses and completely underwritten by community stakeholders and partners who understand the important impact a vibrant Downtown community has on lifestyle and economic benefits for an entire community and destination,” said  CRA Chair and City Council Member Constance Scott. She added that more than 14,000 event-goers filled the streets of the Promenade during the inaugural event, driving new business to the participating retailers, salons, spas, boutiques, restaurants, galleries and more.

Meet Me On The Promenade Sponsors and Partners to date include Office Depot; Office Depot Foundation; Multi Image Group; AVR Depot; Sun-Sentinel; Forum Publishing Group; Mizner Park/General Growth Properties; Allianz Championship; Coldwell Banker; Lesser, Lesser, Landy & Smith, PLLC; Kaye Communications, Inc.; Comerica Bank; RAM, Nestler Poletto Sotheby’s International Realty; Art Attack!; Potions In Motion; Gourmet Truck Expo; the American Cancer Society; Florida Panthers; Boca Raton Children’s Museum; Florida Atlantic University Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine; several public and private schools including Olympic Heights High School, Grandview Preparatory School, Saint Andrews School; Spirit of Giving Network; Junior League of Boca Raton; Boca Raton Museum of Art; Boca Raton History Museum;  Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce; Palm Beach County Convention & Visitors Bureau; Penn-Florida; Tucci’s Pizza; Royal Palm Place; nonprofit organizations, and media including South Florida Parenting, Boca Raton Forum, West Boca Forum, Coral Springs Forum, Delray Forum, City Link, Boca Piquant, Boca Raton Tribune; The Coastal Star; South Florida Sunrise, LivingFLA.com; and more.

"There are still plenty of ways to 'be a part of it, in the heart of it'," noted Boca Raton Downtown Manager Ruby Childers. "Great sponsorship and programming partnership opportunities are still available and encouraged. This event provides Downtown businesses, nonprofit organizations, schools and universities, and business friends of Downtown Boca the ability to share their missions, products and services with thousands while showing their support of Downtown Boca."

To become a programming partner, visit http://goo.gl/KHnCL; register as an exhibitor, visit http://goo.gl/vBlrt, or to become a sponsor, contact Jon A. Kaye at Kaye Communications, Inc., Downtown Boca’s official branding and marketing firm, at jkaye@kcompr.com, 561-392-5166-office, or 561-756-3097.

For updates on Meet Me On The Promenade and other Downtown Boca events, visit DowntownBoca.org often, become of a Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/DowntownBoca or call 561-367-7070.

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