by Debbi | Aug 15, 2011 | Birthday Party, Downtown, Events
Well, friends, another Sandbar birthday party has come and gone. The party just gets bigger and better every year!
We're estimating that around 1,400 people went through the beer garden and/or bar areas at some point during the night, and there were lots of other people on the street who didn't enter those areas at all.
The shark slide was clearly a big hit with kids and adults. Here's a picture that Dave's little sister Stephanie took from on top of the slide:
Our staff worked harder than they've probably ever worked at the Sandbar before. Thanks to everyone who tipped them, shared a kind word or thanked them- they deserved it! Many of the staff members worked a solid 8-10 hours that night, on their feet the whole time, and extremely busy for most of it.
The bands were fun and played great music, and great snacks were available on the street. Thanks to Air Summer Snow, Teller's, the lemonade guys and Sandbar Subs for keeping people cool.
We'll have more notes and stories and pictures to share throughout the week. In the meantime, leave your favorite Shark Fest memory in the comments, or shoot us an email at sandbar@thesandbar.com and we'll post it on the blog! We'd love to see your pictures, too.
by Debbi | Aug 13, 2011 | Birthday Party, Downtown, Events, Sandbar Subs
Today's the day! Shark Fest 2011, our third annual birthday block party (to celebrate 22 years in downtown Lawrence) is today!
8th Street between Massachusetts and New Hampshire is now closed. It will reopen around midnight tonight.
Schedule:
- 5 p.m. Blue Orleans
- 8 p.m. Magentlemen
- 9 p.m. Sandbar Dancers
- Followed by Mark Valentine & the Hammerheads
Cost:
- The event itself is free and family friendly
- $5 cover charge to enter the beer garden and/or bar; must be 21 or over and be prepared to show two forms of ID
Drinks:
- $4 Landshark, Bud Light and Shock Top beer
- $4 Shark Attacks
- Limited mixed drinks will be available outside (Jack, Bacardi, Tito's and Tanqueray, along with Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and tonic)
- The usual drinks will be available inside the bar
- Alcohol must remain in the beer garden or the bar
Food:
- Sandbar Subs
- Assorted other vendors, including Air Summer Snow shaved ice, possibly gelato from Teller's and maybe some others
T-shirts:
- Brand-new Sandbar Shark Fest 2011 shirts in royal blue are available for $12 each
- Available at the Sandbar Subs station
Other Fun Stuff:
I think that's it for now…be sure to follow on Facebook or Twitter for pictures and more updates throughout the day and night.
Fins up, landsharks!
by Debbi | Aug 11, 2011 | Guest Blogs, Random Holidays
Last week during Shark Week, we noticed several tweets on our Twitter page from a customer named Sarah. She was very enthusiastic about Shark Week and spent a lot of time at the Sandbar, and she also posted some great pictures, so we asked her to write a guest blog.
My name is Sarah and I am a 2011 KU graduate from Atchison, KS. I absolutely love the Sandbar and have been visiting quite frequently since my 21st birthday. My first drink from the Sandbar was a Shark Attack. After my first shark, I fell in love with them!
I decided to make it my goal to get 100 sharks from the Sandbar before I graduated. 100 sharks in 2 years? I could do it. After about 15 sharks, I realized that I needed to do something with my sharks. I now hang them on the wall next to my bed- my favorite decoration in my room. In this picture, I have about 40-some sharks. Every time I had a friend come visit from out of town, I always made them visit the Sandbar and buy them a Shark Attack.
(now that's a dedicated Shark Attack fan!)
Soon after my 21st birthday, Shark Week on the Discovery Channel was getting ready to start and I knew I had to do something for it. Although I was busy with summer school, I managed to make it to Sandbar for a night to celebrate Shark Week.
This year I decided to take it to the next level- T-shirts! My roommates and I made shirts and gave ourselves nicknames. I chose the name of my favorite shark, Bruce, from Finding Nemo. My roomates and I went almost every night of Shark Week to get Shark Attacks and to watch Shark Week (we don't have cable.) This year I added about 10 sharks to my collection. I'll have to put my Shark Week shirt away until next year, but hopefully we can do something more for next year.
The Sandbar has always been my favorite bar and feels like home. I've spent my last two birthday there and plan on spending many more at Sandbar. I love the Sandbar and I love the Shark Attacks! I may not have met my goal, but I will continue to collect my sharks.
Thanks for contributing to our blog, Sarah! For her effort, we gave her a gift: a Sandbar Shark Fest 2011 T-shirt. Appropriate, no?
by Debbi | Aug 10, 2011 | Around the World
We love getting pictures of our Sandbar shirts all over the world! The latest batch of pictures come from Michael and LeAna, regular customers once upon a time who have since moved to Texas but still keep up with the Sandbar.
Hello, Dave and fellow Parrotheads! Here are four photographs of LeAna and I, in my ultra-cool Sandbar tee, in the British Virgin Islands. We spent the week on St. Thomas, St. John, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke and Marina Cay to celebrate our tenth anniversary.
That’s us at Devil’s Bay near The Baths on Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands, July 11, 2011.
Above left: me showing off my Sandbar tee at Devil’s Bay near The Baths on Virgin Gorda, B.V.I.
Above right: me after a quick but yummy lunch at Pusser's Marina Cay in the British Virgin Islands.
And finally, LeAna and I at Cathedral Room in The Baths National Park, Virgin Gorda, B.V.I.
We had a wonderful, memorable time, of course, and thought of all of our friends at The Sandbar everywhere we went – Charlotte Amalie, Red Hook, Magen’s Bay, Coki Beach, etc. Lawrence is very lucky to have The Sandbar, we have come to learn. It is the true embodiment of the island experience – and you don’t even have to leave northeast Kansas! Wish you were in Texas, though… There are plenty of Parrotheads down here that would absolutely love The Sandbar.
Takecare, hoist a glass for us, dance on the bar (safely) and we will see you soon…changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes.
Thanks, Michael and LeAna!
by Debbi | Aug 9, 2011 | Stories
Coleen is the resident fish lover at the Sandbar, second only to Dave, and she might even be more fond of the fish than he is.
She was very sad to learn of Homer's passing, and immediately composed this poem in his memory.
Ode to Homer
Here's to Homer our fishy friend,
He swam happily to the very end.
Most said he was ugly, but they never knew,
That ugly meant cute for the Sandbar crew.
Dinner time was great excitement and eating all he could get,
For Homer it meant food, attention and time for a friendly pet.
Always harassed by Slim the large and jealous silver batfish,
He usually brushed him off with a smile and a quick tail swish.
Very few people ver got to see Homer do the big puff,
Because he felt safe and didn't need to do that kind of stuff.
Known as Stars and Stripes Toadfish, or (arothron hispidus) his real scientific name,
But to all of us at the Sandbar, Homer will mainly be remembered for all of his fame.
RIP, Homer. May you find peace on the farm, away from the other fish.
