Adirondacks - Thrones of Summer 2011 Participation Reminder

Adirondacks-Thrones of Summer 2011 is directed by the Elgin Community Network in partnership with the Gail Borden Public Library, City of Elgin, Elgin Climate Change Organization, Elgin Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Neighborhood Association and Elgin's businesses, corporations, restaurants, public agencies, schools, churches, community groups and not-for profits. The event is completely volunteer driven and free to the public!

Once again ECN is asking the community to enthusiastically embrace the imaginative Thrones just as they did the Rain Barrels, Bicycles On Parade, and Dinos. They are asking you to be a part of this extraordinary project and create a fanciful work of art using a simple, oversized adirondack chair as the canvas.

These artful entertainment pieces will be

· Displayed throughout the community during June
· Be a part of Gail Borden's Midsummer Knight's Read
· On the float in the City of Elgin's 2011 4th of July Parade
· Showcased in July and voted on at the library
· Exhibited & auctioned off at Elgin's largest art festival, Art & Soul on the Fox/Passeggiata on July 31

At less than $3 a day, this is a great way for you to advertise your identity. The exposure is immense and ongoing from June to August.

The deadline to participate is Tuesday, March 15. There will be a colossal, eco-friendly, medieval kickoff slated for Saturday, April 23 at Gail Borden Public Library.

The DNA encourages all of our downtown businesses to participate in this excellent promotional opportunity which enhances and enriches our community.

For more information, please download the Adirondacks-Thrones of Summer 2011 application by clicking here!

Again, please submit your completed application and fee by Tuesday, March 15.

For more information, contact Sigi Psimenos at 312.953.8216 or email sigiusa@yahoo.com

The Madness is Here!

The Madness is Here! Welcome to Downtown Madness - the Downtown Neighborhood Association of Elgin's exciting new interactive promotion for the entire month of March with downtown Elgin's restaurants and bars.

In the spirit of the popular NCAA College Basketball Tournament, we proudly unveil our own version of March Madness with a distinctly downtown twist this Friday, March 4 in the form of a bracket tournament that will pit 16 sweet dishes and drinks from downtown establishments against each other and YOU, the voting public, determine the winners.

Beginning this Friday, the public will be able to vote online for their favorite "dish" or "drink" in each of the Opening Round match-ups at http://bit.ly/fQ7GtX. (NOTE: The link will not be "live" until Friday at 1PM.) Downtown Neighborhood News subscribers will receive a personal invitation to the voting link on Friday morning.

Here are your Opening Round match-ups with corresponding "signature dish" or "signature drink" in parenthesis:

-Domani Café (Domani Latte) vs. La Quebrada (Tampiquena)
-Al's Café & Creamery (Burns Malt) vs. Spanky's Gyros (Italian Sausage)
-Douglas Street Sports Pub (Bacon Cheddar Burger) vs. La Puesta Del Sol (La Puesta Margarita)
-Elgin Public House (Pulled Pork) vs. Ravenheart Coffee (Mediterranean Club Sandwich)
-Buckingham's Steakhouse (Grand Tomahawk) vs. Gasthaus Zur Linde (Das Boot)
-Bangkok House & Shanghai Restaurant (Pa Naeng) vs. Red Bar Winery (Spicy Butter Poached Shrimp)
-Martini Room (Appletini) vs. Toom Toom Thai Restaurant (Thai Style Chicken Wings)
-PRIME BurgerHouse (Drunken Bull Burger) vs. Villa Verone Ristorante Italiano (Asparagi)

Opening Round voting lasts from Friday, March 4 thru Monday, March 14. After which eight of the 16 establishments will move on to the Round of 8, with second round voting slated for March 13-21. The final four establishments tip-off third round voting March 23-28. The Championship Game round of voting then takes place March 30-April 4, with the winning venue announced on Wednesday, April 6.

In addition to the public voting component of Downtown Madness, there will also be a separate Downtown Madness "Pick 'Em" Challenge - Presented by Daily Herald Media Group, where the public will have the opportunity to fill out and predict the winners of the entire Downtown Madness bracket tournament from the Round of 16 through the Championship Game.

Points are awarded for each correctly picked "winner" based on the week-to-week voting results. The sheet with the most points at the end of the promotion will win $100 in Downtown Gift Certificates. In case of a tie, a drawing will be conducted amongst the high-point sheets to determine a winner.

The official Pick 'Em Challenge brackets will be available this Friday, March 4 at www.DailyHerald.com/community/elgin as well as http://www.downtownelgin.com/.

All completed sheets are due into the DNA, via e-mail at DowntownElgin@gmail.com or dropped off in-person at 2 Douglas Avenue, by no later than Monday, March 14. A complete list of rules and instruction on how to play will be available on the bracket sheet and on the DNA Blog.

For clarification purposes, the round-by-round selections made by participants in the Pick 'Em Challenge DO NOT have any bearing on the voting component of Downtown Madness.

We invite everyone to join in on all the "hoopla" of Downtown Madness! Bring your family and friends downtown to rediscover all of our great restaurants and bars and vote for your favorites.

Downtown Madness Round of 16 Voting

WELCOME!

Click here to Join the Madness!