Riverfront Meet-Up: That's a WRAP! - WilmToday

12th Oct 2020

Riverfront Meet-Up: That’s a WRAP!

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We loved seeing everyone enjoying It’s Time and Constitution Yards!

Wow! Our Riverfront Meet-Up Fall Fest on Saturday at Constitution Yards was a total success! I loved seeing so many Wilmingtonians SAFELY come out to enjoy live music, Dogfish Head drink specials, gift card and swag giveaways, and to hang out against the backdrop of the Christina River (which you’ll get to see from a different angle in my upcoming excursion kayaking with Blue Rooster Co-Op).

Brooklyn had a great time hearing the live music and playing in the sand as mom Jen Reid enjoyed the Dogfish Head beer specials!

The purpose of the meet-up was to talk to local business owners on the Riverfront and meet members of our community! With the football game on the big screen, sun out, and Richie O’Hanlon playing in the background, the vibe was relaxed and DEFINITELY safety oriented. We got to meet so many doggos, babies, friends, and family which made the whole event that more special. As promised, we gave out a ton of awesome swag and swapped stories about how great our city is.

Going Live!

I talked to Joe Valenti, Marking Manager for the Riverfront Development Corporation.

I went Live on Facebook with some faces you may know, and some you might not! My first conversation was with Joe Valenti, Marketing Manager for the Riverfront Development Corporation.

When asked about the Riverfront, Valenti commented, “It’s definitely been a big pivot to say the least…fortunately most restaurants have some sort of outside seating. A few organizations haven’t been able to open at all like the Wilmington Blue Rocks, but they’ve been really creative and inventive as far as doing what they can like movie nights and on field catches. The Delaware Children’s Art Museum has done a lot of at-home activities through social media and they are selling some of those kits curbside so you can recreate the museum at your house.”

Larry Saunders, one of our People of Wilmington.

We also bumped into one of our People of Wilmington buddies, Larry Saunders! Once a week we highlight a member of the community to share their incredible story. Larry is an entrepreneur who works as executive chef at Constitution Yards, and owns his own stall called The Burger Joint at DE.CO in downtown. He is such an incredible, driven, and humble Wilmingtonian who credits his success on the generosity and help from others, “BPG (Buccini/Pollin Group) has a lot of good resources, a lot of good doors have been opened for me. Wilmington has been good to me. I definitely appreciate the city, and the love and the respect, and the inspiration.”

The Juice Joint gave out free samples to Stephanie and Greg Melasseca.

The last Facebook Live we did was with Drew Brant, manager of The Juice Joint right across from Constitution Yards! Friends Lanice Wilson and Renee Sellers opened up shop in July, right in the middle of COVID! I was there last week to try the La La Mango Smoothie which was AH-MAH-ZING. The Juice Joint joined us at the event to give out free samples like the Mermaid (blue spirulina lemonade) and the Beets Me (beets, pineapple, red ginger). Drew and I got to discuss the health benefits of a variety of their juices, and even better, how YUMMY they are!

A City United

What was obvious to me throughout the day, and after talking to these three, is that we are a small and united city and we want to see each other succeed! Although we still have a lot of the city left to cover, it is already apparent to me that THIS is one of the foundations for what makes Wilmington special, and why IT’S TIME for your stories to be heard.

Drew Brant of the Juice Joint and It’s Time’s Witt Godden stopped to pose.

With Gratitude

A few thank you’s to the individuals who helped to make this event a reality, Mark Barnyak of Constitution Yards, Joe Valenti of the Riverfront Building Corporation, Larry Saunders, Drew Brant of the Juice Joint, musician Richie O’Hanlon., and Spencer Duhm of Boston Beer Company for connecting us with Dogfish Head drink specials for our customers. As always It’s Time thanks it’s investors and supporters: Gov. Carney’s Office, the City of Wilmington and Mayor Purzycki, Chemours, WSFS Bank, M&T, Highmark, BPG, CSC, JPMorgan Chase, Incyte, and Tech Impact.

The most OBVIOUS thank you goes out to those of you that came down to Constitution Yards to hang, and those that tuned in virtually!

I hung out with Wilmingtonians Mat Chacko, Owen Murphy, Katie Welles, and Shannon Jost.

We only have one week left covering the Riverfront! Comment below of places we need to hit on the Riverfront, or as we begin our next “blitz” in Trolley Square/West Side. As always follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube! We will see you at the next location!