Erin and Joe - First Thursday

So today was First Thursday which is a big event here in JP. Local artists display their work in shops all down the street and musicians play to help promote them. Joel and I made our way up the street around 5 and started out at an outdoor display of handmade items. They had clothing, jewelry, and other little neat trinkets. We moved on to wander up the street and went to a few other little shops. As we were passing a grocery store, that also makes sandwiches and coffee, we heard music so we stepped in. It was a jazz band of young men called The Quartet of Happiness with drums, a bass and two saxophones . They were very entertaining and there were lots of little kids jumping around with the music and it was a lot of fun. The store was giving out free samples of pie and fruit so we hung around for awhile. It started to get crowded so we decided to move on but Joel managed to shoot some video with his phone which will hopefully be uploaded.

We wandered back down and I happened to see a sign on a building pointing off the main road about an artist displaying his mosaics so of course we had to go check it out. It was in a little picture framing shop on the second floor of a brick building. He had some really cool stuff including furniture. He made two little chest-of-drawers with parts of clementine boxes on the drawers and sides. We talked to the artist for a little while and he said his materials are basically all recycled. He said he found the furniture in the garbage so he took it and made it into something really cool.

We walked further and Joe had been wanting to see if there would be a string quartet like when he was here to move Elena and I in. He said they saw them at a little place closer to where we live. We stopped in and we were happy to see them playing again so we went and sat down. There was only one other guy watching and he soon left so it was like we had our own private concert with some cool paintings on the walls. They finished their song and we talked to them for a little while. They were very good and soon some other people got curious and stopped in and they played more songs. A nice man came in and sat next to me and was really enjoying the music and he had a big white shepherd dog with him who was enjoying Joel and I's attention. We stayed through about four songs and said bye to the musicians and headed home.

It was a great evening and we are excited for the next one.