Newark to host special weekend events

4:51 p.m., July 13, 2005--The Downtown Newark Partnership will celebrate the coming months with events that highlight fine dining, vintage cars, the diversity of the Newark community and the city’s eating places.

Festivities begin at noon, Saturday, July 23, with Downtown Newark's Second Annual Food & Brew Fest when downtown restaurants join with fine American craft breweries for a celebration of the culinary arts and brewing sciences.

Activities take place on Main Street and include free parking, food and drink specials, entertainment and "Hops & Shops"--Newark’s famous sidewalk sales. The event is cosponsored by Out-and-About magazine. For more information, visit [http://newark.de.us/downtown/Events.htm].

The second annual Newark Auto Fest, from 4-10 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 6, and 2-7 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 7, features vintage cars on Saturday and 1981-2005 cars on Sunday. Forty trophies will be awarded each day. Entertainment is provided by The Honeycombs from 4:30-9:30 p.m., Saturday. On Sunday, a popular DJ will spin tunes from 2:30-6:30 p.m.

Those wishing to exhibit their vehicles can preregister by Saturday, July 16, for $15 per car. Registration fee the day of the show is $20. Metered parking on Main Street and portions of the Newark Shopping Center parking lot will be allocated to exhibited vehicles. Attendees not exhibiting can park for free in the municipal lots.

Brandywine Motorsports Club will hold autocross events Saturday and Sunday at North College and Cleveland avenues. Gates open at 8 a.m., and the track opens at 10. Admission is $30 per vehicle. For more information, call (302) 239-3546.

Metered parking and portions of the Newark Shopping Center and other parking areas will be reserved for registered car show participants.

For more information, visit [http://newark.de.us/downtown/auto-fest.htm].

Newark Community Day kicks off at 10 a.m., Sunday, Sept. 18, on The Green from Memorial Hall to Main Street and along Main Street from Old College east to Tyre Avenue, including the Academy Building lawn, Newark Shopping Center and Market East Plaza. The event, which continues until 5 p.m., coincides with UD’s Freshman Family Weekend.

This celebration of all that is Newark includes activities for the kids, like scarecrow making and face painting; a fine art and homemade craft competition and sale; stages for bands and demonstrations; information about local issues, businesses, services, parks and recreation; a bazaar and flea market filled with attic treasures and surprises; and a food court with an ethnic flavor.

Main Street businesses will be open and offering dining and retail specials, plus a sidewalk chalk festival and other activities. On the Academy Building lawn, there will be a stage with live entertainment. Market East Plaza will host its weekly farmers’ market with fresh fruits and vegetables.

The following month, UD will host the second annual Taste of Newark, set for noon-3 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 2, on Old College Lawn and featuring menu specialties from UD’s Vita Nova, Blue & Gold Club and Catering Services, as well as 32 downtown Newark restaurants and several area wineries.

Additionally, the head chef and four students from the Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality, the hotel management school located in Switzerland’s eastern Alps affiliated with UD’s HRIM department, are tentatively scheduled to make a guest appearance and conduct a public cooking demonstration.

Tickets are $30 in advance or $40 at the door. Advance tickets can be purchased at Newark Mayor Vance Funk’s law office at 273 East Main St., or at participating restaurants.

For more information, visit [www.udel.edu/PR/UDaily/2005/mar/taste061705.html].

The Downtown Newark Partnership is a coalition of the City of Newark, UD, downtown business owners and Newark residents who work together to promote and preserve Newark’s unique downtown area as a community and commerce center.

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