More Sandbar shirts around the world! Sandbar friends Bob & Joan Harvey are happy to be wearing Sandbar shirts at Orient Beach on St. Maarten:
Bob posted this picture on our Facebook page and said that the next day, he wore his "Fins Up" shirt. He got a lot of comments from people wondering about a beach bar in Kansas!
'Tis the season…to find creative ways to use your Sandbar drink toys!
Every year, we have good intentions of decorating a Christmas tree with Sandbar trinkets and donating it to the Festival of Trees auction that benefits The Shelter. And every year, we forget about it until it's too late to get one done.
But we have lots of customers who are either poor college students or just really, really love our toys- and they decorate their own trees with ducks, beads and other tropical drink paraphernalia, and sometimes they share those pictures with us.
Here's one from Twitter follower @wbloomie:
We particularly love the creativity of this one- not only did she hang toys on the tree, but she actually used the toys to strategically create a face.
And here's another one, also from a Twitter follower, @hilaryferguson:
Do you decorate a tree with Sandbar drink toys? We'd love to see it! You can tweet it to @thesandbar, post it on our Facebook page, or email it to us at sandbar@thesandbar.com. Happy holidays!
It's time for our third annual "Twelve Days of Sandbar Christmas Gifts" post!
Each day, we offer you a new suggestion for a tropical-themed holiday gift. Come back each day for a new idea, or look back at our gifts for 2010 and 2009.
Day 1: Tropical Christmas Tree Shirt
We've all seen the silly Christmas-themed shirts and sweaters. You might even have one in your closet (and your mom definitely does). But we bet you don't have a shirt with a Christmas palm tree on it.
Day 2: Vintage Hula Girl Lamp
This one is cool: a vintage hula girl lamp, complete with actual hula dancing! This lamp was featured in the Adam Sandler movie 50 First Dates. A unique gift for the hula lover on your list! There's even a holiday sale in case you need to buy two of them.
Day 3: Drillblender
Because everybody needs a portable blender, and this one is fun: the Boatblender drill bit attaches to your cordless drill, so you can blend the perfect drink wherever you go! Assuming you carry your cordless drill with you, that is.
Day 4: Tropical Tiki Planters
For the gardener in your life, may we suggest these tropical tiki planters! Two different sizes are available, and you can plant tropical plants in them and pretend you're in the islands.
Day 5: Parrot Bottle Opener
We know you like to drink, so a bottle opener is a must-have for any home bar. Why not have a little fun with your bottle opener and choose this parrot-themed one?
Day 6: Goldfish Ice Bucket
If you're looking for a slightly classier, more upscale gift, check out this goldfish mini ice bucket. It would look great at your pool party or even an indoor beach-themed party. You don't even have to use it for ice; you could put anything in it.
Day 7: Beach Bum Santa Blanket
Cold? Check out this blanket that depicts tropical Santa lounging on the beach instead of delivering presents in the snow.
Day 8: Homemade Beach Theme Christmas Wreaths
I don't think you can actually buy these, but they're pretty cool: homemade wreaths with a beach theme! There's an anchor-shaped wreath, seashell wreaths and wreaths with mermaids. Very fun for the DIY-er!
Day 9: Pirate Santa Christmas Ornament
Love pirates? We do. And we love this blown glass Pirate Santa Christmas tree ornament!
Day 10: Shark Oven Mitt
If someone on your gift list likes to cook, how about this shark oven mitt? It's perfect for the kitchen! It's designed to look like the shark is eating your arm.
Day 11: Mermaid Divas
If you've got someone on your list who loves mermaids, check out these mermaid diva dolls. There are several different varieties and they're very fancy!
Day 12: Air Swimmers
This just might be one of the coolest gifts we've found this year: remote-controlled flying clownfish and sharks. Someone at the Sandbar *might* be getting one for Christmas this year…
We don't recommend bringing a fake ID to our bar. And we really don't recommend it when you're three days away from your 21st birthday.
So the other day, a couple came to the door. The doorguy carded them, as always, and the girl pulled out her ID.
The doorguy didn't think it was legitimate, but he asked Dave for a second opinion. Dave knew it wasn't her. I'm not going to tell you how he knew it was a fake ID, as I don't want to give away their secret tricks, but it was fairly obvious. The doorguy declined admission to the young lady.
Surprisingly, she was upset. And proceeded to encourage the doorguy to call the police to confirm that her ID was real. (Which we have done and will do; don't try to call our bluff.)
What she didn't realize, though, was that the guy she was with (boyfriend? friend? who knows) was standing behind her, shaking his head "no" at the doorguy. As in, "don't call the police."
And then, as she continued to insist that they call the police, the guy pulled her back and told her that she shouldn't take that risk when she's three days away from her 21st birthday. Uh, probably not.
Last Saturday, the KU basketball team had a big game against Ohio State. We were fortunate to have a unique event take place at the bar because of this game- a live radio broadcast!
Ryan from The Angle of Pursuit radio show on 970 WFUN contacted us about broadcasting his pre-game show from the Sandbar. Sure, we said; we're always up for something different.
Ryan and his buddy came in on Friday night and got to experience the Bar Band. They were back on Saturday for their pre-game show, and he even interviewed Dave on the air. We'll try to track down a recording of the show, if it exists, so you can hear it. They left for the game and came back afterward, raving about the amazing atmosphere in Allen Fieldhouse, for a post-game show.
Of course, we all know how fantastic Lawrence, Allen Fieldhouse and the Sandbar are, but it's nice to hear what new visitors think. Here's what Ryan had to say:
I'd like to take a moment to sincerely thank EVERYONE we encountered on our trip to Lawrence. First: Dave, Debbi, Peach, Heather, Blair, and The Sandbar staff, you were the best hosts we could have hoped for. Second: The people of Lawrence. We didn't encounter a single person who wasn't a great fan of basketball and a better representative of KU and Kansas as a whole. And Finally: To Roger McCoy, Dave Hatfield, Cody Slaybaugh, Kim Frustere, Robert Bloomer, Dana Schulte, and Curtis Colby for making the trip possible. It was one of the best experiences of my life.
And thankfully, KU won their game!
We got an email from Sandbar fan Emily with some great pictures!
Emily traveled to Rome with some of her friends, and they all took Sandbar shirts with them. She sent us about fifteen fun pictures of them wearing their shirts all over the city. They went to the Colosseum, the Trevi fountain, the Pantheon and other places.
Here's a few pictures from the trip:
(It's hard to see them, but they are holding Sandbar sharks in this picture!)
Thanks for the great pictures, Emily! We'll print these out and add them to our wall of fame.
If you've taken your Sandbar shirt on vacation with you, snap a picture and send it to us!
The KU basketball team takes on Ohio State this Saturday in yet another huge game this season. We're excited for a unique opportunity at the bar before the game- a live radio broadcast!
Ryan Lencl is the host of the Angle of Pursuit, a sports talk radio show that airs on ESPN AM 970 WFUN from 4-6 p.m. on Tuesdays. The show is out of Ashtabula, Ohio, and is also streamed live online.
Ryan contacted us about doing a live broadcast at the bar before the game, and since we're generally up for just about anything, we said sure! It's their first time in Kansas and we're glad to welcome them.
The broadcast will start around 11:30 a.m. on Saturday (time has been changed from the previous announcement due to the time zone difference), and tip-off is at 2:15 p.m. You can see a short commercial for the show on our Facebook page. (I couldn't figure out how to pull it off and embed it here, sorry for my lack of technical skills.)
We'll have pizza available for fans who come by for the broadcast. And Dave might make an appearance on the show, so be sure to tune in!
Check out the Angle of Pursuit's Facebook page here.
Holidays often bring out the crazies and the amateurs. Thanksgiving night this year was no different.
Since we know how much you like to read stories about stupid behavior at the bar, here's a story from Kristen, bartender Tyler's fiancee' and frequent visitor at the Sandbar.
As usual, Tyler and I had decided to end our Thanksgiving Day by having a drink at the bar after Coleen had determined that she was okay with working the whole shift and closing that night. Tyler went to grab a few things for her from the back before we were getting ready to leave and I was sitting on the bench in the corner by the fish tank on my phone.
I look up to see a group of guys leaving and one of them looked like he had the napkin/straw holder in his arm. I did a quick double take, saw Tyler walking my way and I believe I said something along the lines of "Tyler! napkins! straws! kid!" and pointed frantically as he was walking faster out the door.
We both look out the window to see the kid beginning to jog down the sidewalk with the holder in his right hand. Tyler takes off out the door, I put my drink down and follow (because I didn't know how many of the guys there were & I wanted to see what was going to happen) and one of the guys hanging out by the door (another regular) followed me out the door. Neither one of us could see Tyler or any of the other boys and as I start to walk down the sidewalk towards New Hampshire, here comes Tyler with the holder and a pint glass in his hand as he's hollering back to the guys not to come back or he'll call the police.
Really, people? A napkin/straw dispenser? Stop trying to steal our stuff!
Big thanks to Kristen for her eagle eyes and to Tyler for tracking down the thieves. You know, the last time someone tried to steal something from the bar, they spent the night in jail…
One of Lawrence's great holiday traditions is this weekend- the Old-Fashioned Christmas Parade!
Downtown Lawrence will be filled with horses and carriages and buggies on Saturday, Dec. 3. The parade starts at 11 a.m. at 7th and Massachusetts and heads south.
Something cool this year: the parade was named as one of the top 10 U.S. Christmas celebrations by the website Suite 101. You can read their article here to see what they had to say, along with the other nine celebrations that were selected.
Something else cool this year: Downtown Lawrence Inc. has partnered with Just Food, the local food bank, to place food donation barrels downtown. Anytime you're downtown this season, whether for the parade or to shop, bring non-perishable food items with you to put in the barrels. Some downtown merchants will also have cash donation boxes in their stores.
The Sandbar is proud to be a sponsor of this Lawrence tradition, and we hope you'll make it out on Saturday for the parade!
Like the Lawrence Old-Fashioned Christmas Parade page on Facebook.
SantaCon 2011 is coming to town!
Last year we participated in the inaugural SantaCon in downtown Lawrence, and we're excited to be part of this event again this year!
What is SantaCon? “SantaCon is a mass gathering of people dressed in Santa Claus costumes parading publicly on streets and in bars in cities around the world. The focus is on spontaneity and creativity, while having a good time and spreading cheer and goodwill," according to Wikipedia.
SantaCon Lawrence also incorporates a bit of charity: a food drive to benefit Just Food, the local food bank.
Here's the details for this year's extravaganza:
Food donations will be accepted at the Sandbar all day on Dec. 17, so even if you can't participate in SantaCon you can still donate non-perishable food.
Be sure to find a Santa costume! Check out Fun & Games or the Antique Mall in downtown Lawrence for suits or accessories. Or, be creative and make your own!
For more information about SantaCon Lawrence, including the rules, visit the website. You can also like the SantaCon Lawrence Facebook page or RSVP to the event on Facebook.