The Phoenix Public Market Cafe debuted their very own First Friday party this week, filled with music, art, food and good company.
Cafe owner Aaron Chamberlin said he initially hoped to see a lot of business with the regular First Friday crowd when it first opened, but these expectations fell short.
“We’re really close to First Fridays, but we weren’t getting any customers over here,” Chamberlin said. “Which was interesting to us, because we thought First Fridays would be a big night for us since we’re within walking distance.”
In order to put themselves on the map, Chamberlin said they needed to have their own event at the cafe, which is located on Central Avenue and Pierce Street. By 7:30 p.m. on Friday, the restaurant was packed and guests were mingling in the alleyway that Chamberlin blocked off to make room for the night’s performers.
Guests from the downtown area listened to live music by Sarah Bruce, Dylan Pratt and The Senators, ate great food, tasted the new local beer from the Cartel Brewing Company and watched a live painting demo and exhibition by Valley artist Jesse Perry.
Perry, who is the lead concierge and art director for the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel, got involved with the cafe through its new marketing manager.
“It was a natural connection for them to have me come host a show,” Perry said.
On Friday night, Perry began his live painting on one of the walls in the alley behind the restaurant. His mural — of growing vegetables — was largely inspired by the restaurant itself.
“This idea is based on community. Instead of having one type of vegetable that’s growing on a vine, this is all vegetables growing on one vine, which is indicative of the community and what the market does for downtown Phoenix,” Perry said of his painting, which will be finished within the next few days.
With all of his works based on the use of color, Perry’s mural will include the cafe’s slogan, “Eat the Rainbow,” and also have a vintage feel once finished.
“It’s going to look like an old, vintage, kind of 1920s vegetable poster that you might see in the Midwest just staked on the side of the road,” he said.
The First Friday party had a great turnout, and guests like Leigh Recker and Katie Vanderheyd were impressed with everything they had to offer.
“I like the music. It’s at the right level where you can still have conversations and a good time without having to yell,” Recker said. “You can walk over, see some art, then walk over to hear the music, it’s great.”
“I’d definitely come back,” Vanderheyd said.
Before the event had even started, Chamberlin explained that this first party was going to be their prototype – if it works well and there’s a lot of people coming to the event, he hopes that it is something they can do on a regular basis.
“We are extremely interested in being a part of the arts in downtown Phoenix and First Fridays, so we’re looking for a way to break in,” Chamberlin said. “If it’s a good decision financially and if it’s a good decision business-wise, we’ll do it all the time.”
Contact the reporter at Brittany.Schmus@asu.edu
