SparkCon Planning

As per tradition, we will be formally inviting the Mayor and City Council to join us for SPARKcon at their regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday. The meeting starts at 1 pm. We are not scheduled to speak until 2 pm, but they may shift the schedule forward for us. Wear your SPARKcon shirts and represent!

Okay everyone, we are less than two weeks away!
Our final general meeting is tomorrow night at designbox at 6pm!

It is very important that everyone attends so we can work out final details before next Friday.

See you all there!

323 W Martin St
Raleigh NC, 27601

Attention all SPARK organizers. Greg needs to know what you need to put on your SPARK (shopping list), what your budget is (how much $ you need vs. how much $ you raised) , and what your absolute final schedule is.

Please send this info asap! The sooner it comes, the sooner we can secure all these items.

Most of us have heard about the new bikeSPARK initiative in previous posts. Matt Huffman has rocked out with this idea and has a great concept prepared for experiencing SPARKcon on two wheels.
Check out this schedule of themed group rides planned, and visit the links to the facebook posts that are spreading the word:

Group bike rides planned for SparkCon–

In anticipation of the beginning of SparkCon, we are planning four group bike rides for those who want to experience the conference atop two wheels.  For all the rides, plan to meet up at the N.C. State Bell Tower at the time designated (there’s plenty of parking nearby, if needed) for the leisurely and flat 2-mile ride downtown to Moore Square.  Once we arrive, there’s plenty of space to lock up and we can disperse to the various events.  Every ride is loosely themed, and everyone is encouraged to participate.

Night Ride:  Thursday, September 18th, 9 PM.

Because the best way to experience SparkCon is on two wheels with a ton of friends.
Come out to the N.C. State Bell Tower at 9 PM Thursday, September 18th for the inaugural group bike ride of SparkCon. As Raleigh begins three days of epic creativity within the confines of downtown, let’s establish our transportation independence zooming on two wheels through the bright streets of downtown.
We’ll be hitting up the double music hit in Moore Square, checking out the four band lineup at Tir na Nog for local band, local beer night or Blue Mountain next door at the Pour House. And afterwards, it’s always fun for everyone to grab their bikes and ride around for a midnight swim somewhere near downtown…
www.sparkcon.com

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=24425634957&ref=mf

Fashion Ride: Friday, September 19th, 7:30 PM

Dressed to impress on two wheels

Because the SparkCon Fashion Show deserves the best-dressed group of riders ever seen on the streets of downtown Raleigh.

We’ll be meeting at the N.C. State Bell Tower at 7:30 PM on Friday, September 19th and heading downtown to Moore Square fully attired for the hottest part of SparkCon. Dress up your bike to look as good as you do, and check out FashionSpark from 8-10 PM. It’s going to be a great night.

www.sparkcon.com

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=32693469814&ref=mf

Shopping Ride: Saturday, September 20th, 12:30 PM

Sustainable local shopping

If you’ve been looking for the perfect opportunity to support local merchants in the best environment, check out BazaarSpark with us! We’ll be meeting at the N.C. State Bell Tower at 12:30 PM on Saturday, September 20th to start the ride.

From there, we’ll head downtown to check out all the coolest deals in Moore Square for the shopping segment of SparkCon. Stay all day and then hit up all the evening action!

www.sparkcon.com

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=32306029358&ref=mf

Final SparkCon Ride: Saturday, September 20th, 7:30 PM

It’s here!

For the biggest and most packed day of SparkCon activity, we’ll be experiencing it all the best way possible: by bicycle.

Join us at the N.C. State Bell Tower at 7:30 PM on Saturday, September 20th for the final group ride of the SparkCon weekend. We’ll head downtown for a plethora of excitement: art, stories and dance all at Moore Square, the Urban Sophisticates at the Pour House, Irish jams at Tir na nog and of course all of the camaraderie and good people that you can expect from SparkCon.

www.sparkcon.com

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=36100745489&ref=mf

First off, thank you to everyone who contributed to the First Friday efforts here at Designbox! I was really glad to come back and see how wonderfully it all came together.

For those of us who couldn’t make it last Friday, we will have another opportunity to see the show tomorrow night when we come to Designbox for our general meeting at 6pm!

We have been working to get the schedule nailed down and confirmed. Please visit the schedule on both the planning site here, and on the public site here. Review the content, description, times, and locations of events that pertain to your spark and ensure that they are correct. We will be going over this in the meeting.

If you are unable to make it, please send Greg revisions via email to greg@sparkcon.com
Look forward to seeing everyone there!

Designbox
323 W Martin St
Raleigh NC 27601

Welcome Back! I trust that everyone had a great 4th of July weekend.

We will be holding our next General SPARKcon Meeting tomorrow night
( Tuesday July 8 ) at 6 pm at Designbox.
323 W Martin St
Raleigh NC 27601

We will be bringing the group up to speed on general logistics and learning what each SPARK component has planned.

See you all tomorrow night!

Raleigh has a great eclectic bike community. If you don’t think so just come by designbox on any first friday and you will see what I’m talking about! We feel its time to celebrate this community at SPARKcon.

Greg made some calls and found himself corresponding with Miles Holst, organizer of the Raleigh Alley Kat Race. You may remember a bunch folks flying around downtown on bikes dressed like space cadets collecting relics, completing challenges, and shooting an occasional glass of vodka. That was all thanks to Miles and his creative collective. The two threw around ideas on what could happen at SPARKcon and who would be willing to wrap their hands around it. Enter Matt Huffman, another active cycling commuter and supporter.

Greg and Matt met Wednesday afternoon to brainstorm ideas. Matt has attended SPARKcon in the past and is very motivated to try and bring these communities together. The focus of the meeting was to come up with three core concepts for bikes at SPARKcon. The first and obvious one was to hold a SPARKcon alley kat race! Another was to bring in the 1304 crew. 1304 Chamberlain is a group of active bike enthusiasts who hold maintenance workshops weekly. Anyone is welcome! They have worked with Matt in the past with community outreach support with Big Brothers and Sisters of Raleigh. One thought is to connect with them and have them set up temporary shop at Moore Square.

Both Matt and Greg feel that the overall message should be bikes as commuter transportation as well as recreation. With rising fuel prices, and the increasing number of bikers in the area, the community along with the city need to address this issue of more bikers on the roads of Raleigh. Matt proposed bringing in a speaker to the Urban Design Center to offer insight and hopefully generate some dialogue among attendees.

The First Friday riders are a great resource for supporting SPARKcon. Greg offered up the idea of hosting a SPARKcon ride to raise money for bike related charities. Perhaps an attempt to help implement the white bike program of Raleigh. If not, definitely have a ride that ended at Moore Square. Garnish support from local bike shops in the area to be on hand to offer assistance and advice to those seeking to change their commuter ways.

Matt is pumped! He will be reaching out to see what he can make happen.

Please confirm (1) that you are receiving these posts and (2) if you will be able to attend. Please list the spark you represent as well. Send confirmations to: 

greg@sparkcon.com

I hope everyone had great First Friday!

This event in Charleston looks pretty cool… and had art by GrafSPARK’s Bart Cusick. 

Provided by Matt McConnell:rduwtfnewraleighboomtownraleighurbanplanetraleighchronicleraleighfreepressoverthetop-insidethebeltlineraleighphilosocietythen from John Parker:Eleven Principles for Creating Great Community Places