January Get Your PHX: 5th Anniversary

Thank you again to all of the people who made the 2013 Phoestivus Market great. Our sponsors, volunteers and planning committee were amazing, as usual. We raised over $7,000 for Community Food Connections. We are guessing that we had about 2,000 visitors the first night and somewhere over 3,000 the second night. I’m so proud of the work that this group does to promote community, create local shopping alternatives and support local business. On to next year!

I’m also very proud to announce the Get Your PHX 5th Anniversary Party. We started back in January of 2009 as an idea to just get people out to celebrate what we have in CenPho.

Take yourself back to January, 2009. Lehman Brothers had tanked, along with the economy, a few months before. Home prices dropped faster than Mile Cyrus’ clothes. People might have been inclined to hide at home and ride out the storm than come out and support locally-owned businesses.

I wanted to celebrate those people who put their time and savings on the line to create something new in Phoenix –a city that so many others around the country dismiss. I wanted to remind folks that these new businesses don’t stay unless we get out and patronize them.

Our first event started small –about 30 people. Since then, every month for 5 years (sixty, unbroken months), we have hosted an event. Some times we had 200 people. A couple times we had 10. But we were consistent.

From Get Your PHX came the Phoestivus Market. Over the years, we’ve split our time between new restaurants, bars, public spaces and just really cool things you should see. We’ve always tried to get their right when they open so you can be part of the energy. I think we’ve done okay.

Here’s the Big List of where we’ve been since January 2009, chronologically:

Side Bar, Hanny’s, The Brockway House, The Clarendon, monOrchid, R&R Surplus, Paisley Town, After Hours Creative, NINE05, Phoenix Public Market, Hula’s Modern Tiki, Phoenix Metro Retro, AmenZone, Luhrs Tower, Braggs Pie Factory, Noble Beast, Practical Art, UofA College of Medicine, Co+Hoots, MacAlpines, Bliss/Rebar, The Duce, Ultra Fit Clinic, Phoestivus Market #1, The Hive, Rum Bar at Breadfruit, Modified Arts, UFO & BoomBoom LaRue, Indie Arthouse, Urban Beans, La Picolla Cucina, Rice Paper, Padre’s, The Audubon Center, Indian School Dog Park, Phoestivus Market #2, Oasis on Grand, Picnic at Wesley Bolin Park, Por Vida Gallery, Treehouse Bakery, Haven Boutique, Songbird, 180 Degree Automotive, Phoenix Brewery, Angels Trumpet and Film Bar, Camelback Packers Hostel, Thanksgiving at Hob Nobs, Phoestivus Market #3, My Florist Shops, Tertio, Last Exit Live, 9 Gallery, Scratch French Pastry, Public Market Café, Short Leash, Pomo Pizzaria, The Vig Fillmore, Hance Dog Park, Thanksgiving in the Community Gardens, Phoestivus Market #4

Kinda impressive when I group them up like that, huh?

And here we are at the 5th Anniversary. This month in 2009 Josh Parry had just opened SideBar. He must have been biting his nails watching the news. Josh and his crew have survived on a tough corner all this time. They are an establishment now. We want to celebrate Josh and everything that he represents in all of the businesses that have tried (and failed) in downtown.

We are proud to have known all of them and honored to have spent the time with you all.

So, join us on January 23rd for a good old fashioned party. There will be drink specials (see below), Get Your PHX Free Raffle Items and mercifully brief speeches.

See you there!

As usual, please RSVP on Facebook.

January, 2013 Get Your PHX
5th Anniversary
SideBar
5:30 to about 7:30 or so.
1514 N 7th Ave,
Phoenix, AZ 85007 (Map It)

SPECIALS FOR THE NIGHT:

$4.25 well drinks, $1 off Beers, $2 off Wine, $8 off bottles, $1.50 off flatbread pizzas and $2 off appetizer dips. And, for the first time ever $1.50 off specialty cocktails.