Summary:

November 2008 marks the Madison debut and Milwaukee rekindling of “99 Bottles Documentary,” a documentary film that explores the history, culture, and brew making processes of craft brewers in Southeastern Wisconsin. Contributions from the founders and brewmasters of 16 unique Wisconsin breweries and brewpubs along with interviews from local historians culminate in a timely and relevant celebration of Wisconsin’s worst kept secret - Beer! The tour starts with four shows in Milwaukee from November 6-9, 2008 at the Times Cinema in Milwaukee. Tickets are $8, with half of the box-office sales going to help sponsor the Kiwanis Club of Metropolitan Milwaukee Nights’ November 7th “Brew Fest” event.  Next stop is a series of four shows in Madison at The Orpheum Theatre from November 13-16. Attendees that arrive a half-hour before all shows can taste samples of beer from the breweries that are covered in this film.

Detail:

“99 Bottles Documentary” explores the history and culture of the craft brewing industry in Southeastern Wisconsin. A collaboration between Wisconsin-based Mutant Barmonkey Productions, LLC and Haptic Vision, “99 Bottles Documentary” began over a pint at Wolski’s Tavern. Producers Glen Popple and David Oplinger, in partnership with director Jason Williams, set out to explore what it takes to make great beer in their own backyard. Otto Dilba of Ale Asylum in Madison commented, “It was a great excuse to have a beer and reminisce about the origins of Ale Asylum, and was the most legal fun we have had with our pants on.”

Over the course of their travels, one common theme has emerged: ‘free beer’ is not free. With the single-minded purpose of a master chef, the men and women that bring you pint after refreshing pint strive to survive ever-toughening legislation, worldwide resource shortages, and an ever-growing public demand for excellence in their product.

The filmmakers’ quest took them all over the state of Wisconsin, from Mount Horeb’s tiny award-winning brewpub, the Grumpy Troll, to the glimmering halls of the New Glarus Brewing Company’s newest stainless-steel beer mecca. “Mark and I enjoyed being interviewed for this worthwhile project. Coming from a small village in Wisconsin, we are honored to be part of a project that allows us to showcase our award winning beers…”, said Douglas M. Welshinger, The Grumpy Troll Restaurant and Brewery.

In addition to researching the rich pallet of breweries, the filmmakers ambushed average people and beer aficionados alike. From Comet Café’s “Beer School” to the Milwaukee Public Museum’s “Food and Froth” fundraiser, they polled the public inquiring: “What one question would you ask a brewmaster if given the opportunity?”

With centuries-old brewing traditions of European families that settled the Midwest, it seemed only fitting that the trials and successes of their descendants should be explored. The rigors of this emerging market, the time-honored traditions that they uphold and the daily regiment of sweat equity necessary to meet the bottom line make for a fascinating expose of one of Wisconsin’s worst kept secrets: Beer.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Crystal Bobb-Semple

Brownstone Books, 718-953-7328

Shops on Brooklyn’s Lewis Ave. hosts Third Annual Street Soiree

1,000 locals to enjoy music, food, bargains, spelling bee, chess tournament and more

The Shops of Lewis Ave. (SoLA) will take to the streets on Saturday, September 20th, from 10 am - 7pm, to once again delight neighbors, customers and the general public with a day of fun activities and revelry.

Lewis Avenue, between Decatur Street and Halsey Street, will be closed to automobile traffic, and each business will sell merchandise in front of its store. An additional 40 vendors are expected to set up booths and sell everything from all-natural juices and lemonade to hand-made collectible dolls. What’s more, there will be plenty of entertainment and activities for the entire family.

“The community looks forward to a SoLA special event each season, including our annual holiday tree lighting, our Haunted House Party and our spring wine tasting. The fall street soiree is especially popular because it’s all-day fun and it’s absolutely free,” says Bobb-Semple.

Bobb-Semple’s Brownstone Bookstore, for example, will host its annual spelling bee for children ages 7 to 14. The competition always draws a large crowd, with winners in each age group receiving $75 and much respect. Book authors will also read from their works. For its part, Bread Stuy, the popular community coffee house, will stage its annual chess tournament, along with favorite Djs spinning music as they do at the hot spot most Sunday afternoons.

Face painting and craft projects will draw the young to Lewis Gallery, a framing and gifts store, while adults will bid feverishly for one-of-a-king art.. Meanwhile, the stylish House of Art Gallery will instruct visitors on collecting and displaying art.

Speaking of style, Little Red Boutique, the trendy Lewis Ave. clothing store, will debut their fall fashion collection, while Akwaaba Mansion, the elegant Bed and Breakfast around the corner on MacDonough Street, will offer displays and a workshop on the art of entertaining with style.

“What‘s especially exciting about the merchants on Lewis Avenue is that each owner lives in the neighborhood and takes pride in serving their community in the broader sense of the word,” says Bread Stuy‘s Lloyd Porter, the current president of SoLA. Porter adds that five new businesses on the retail strip will be introduced to the community at the Soiree: Peaches Market and Café, already creating a stir with its delicious southern food with an urban flair; Creative Blossoms, a full-service florist whose owner, Estelle Harris, will cut her opening day ribbon this month; and Therapy Wine Bar, Butternut Market, and Saraghina Brick Oven Pizza, all expected to open on Lewis Avenue before year’s end. “We are truly experiencing a renaissance,” exclaims Porter.

Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church on the corner of Lewis Ave. and Decatur Street has partnered with SoLA to host the entertainment stage featuring gospel artists, poetry and more, while the newly reopened and renovated Macon Branch Public Library will simultaneously host its 4^th Annual Creative Arts Fair. The details and execution of this grand event are being carried out by The Perfect Guest Event Planning Services, a top-notch Bedford-Stuyvesant-based firm that has ensured many of the area’s happenings go off without a hitch. Indeed SoLA’s Street Soiree on September 20th will be a day of fun and pride for both residents and local entrepreneurs.

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Today, people more then ever need support and guidance to make
ends meet. The Helpful Hands Foundation, a nonprofit 501 c 3 has a dedicated and caring team of people that truly reach out to provide a “helping hand”.

Our involvement in the community is through education workshops, work programs, and counseling. We will be conducting our THHF - Autumn Food Drive to help restock our local food banks; we will be at various communities distributing brown bags and requesting your donations of canned or dried food products. Leave brown bags by your door, pick up will be after 3:00 pm September 18, 2008.

Make Our motto your motto: “helping one hand at a time”

www.thhf.org

END

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:
Festival Chairperson: Krishna Sharma - 416.616.5136
Marketing and Promotions: Rashi Singh - 416.819.5527

WHAT: The Festival of India (known as Ratha-Yatra), one of India’s most ancient and popular festivals, celebrated in hundreds of cities around the world. Toronto’s festival is known as the largest in North America.

WHO: Organized by Toronto’s Hare Krishna Centre, annually attended by over 35,000 people from Toronto and around the world.

WHERE: Colourful Parade - Down Yonge Street, from Bloor to Queens Quay
Two-Day Festival - Centre Island

WHEN: Saturday, July 19, 2008: Parade - 11am - 2pm, Centre Island Festival - 12pm to 9pm
Sunday, July 20, 2008: Centre Island Festival - 12pm to 5pm

TORONTO, ON - On July 19th and 20th, Toronto’s Hare Krishna Centre will present the 36th Annual Festival of India in the heart of downtown Toronto. The festival consists of an upbeat, colourful parade down Yonge Street (beginning at Bloor and continuing south to the Queens Quay) and a two-day festival on Centre Island, expected to draw close to 35,000 people. “This is a festival open entirely to the public,” says Rashi Singh, Marketing and Promotions Manager for the Festival of India. “This festival aims to both inform and entertain; it promises to appeal to everyone, including those interested in yoga, spirituality, music, dance, and the arts.”

Festival Kick-Off at Yonge-Dundas Square!
As a way to both kick-off and promote the weekend’s festivities, the Festival of India will be offering a mini-festival on Wednesday, July 16th at Yonge-Dundas Square from 12pm-9pm. Festivities will include free “Express Yoga” sessions for the public and exhibits about ancient Vedic art and vegetarianism. The day will come to a resounding conclusion with a concert featuring a glimpse into ancient India’s spiritual roots in the forms of dance, music and drama.

Award Winning Entertainment
Sponsored by EYE WEEKLY, the festival’s entertainment features the likes of the Menaka Thakkar Dance Company, the first South Asian arts organization to be recognized by the Canada Council for the Arts, as well as Enakshi Das Sinha. Also highlighted in the lineup is “Silk Route” by Sashar Zarif and friends, a mix of Toronto-based artists, which includes Joanna Das, Anne Bourn, Piriouz Yousefian, and members of Juno-nominated Auto Rickshaw, Ed Hanley and Suba Shankaran. “Silk Route” will incorporate the sounds of traditional South Asian instruments with contemporary vocals, kathak, and Persian/Sufi movements all on one stage! The entertainment program will also be punctuated by a two-hour performance by a traveling tour of 50 youth from all over North America, presenting India’s ancient Vedic roots with music, dance and an unforgettable drama entitled “Kunti and Karna”.

First Annual Yoga Meltdown
The picturesque, serene beauty of Centre Island with its lush parks and cool breezes from the lake will form the backdrop for the first annual Yoga Meltdown, presented on Sunday, July 20th. Celebrated as a “festival within a festival”, Yoga Meltdown will present attendees with a chance to unwind, rejuvenate and invigorate themselves via free outdoor yoga classes, vegetarian/vegan cooking demonstrations, mantra meditation circles and yoga discussions. The mini-festival will also feature a full lineup of stage entertainment including dance, drama and “kirtan”, a form of mantra yoga consisting of the singing of ancient mantras to the accompaniment of musical instruments.

Free Vegetarian Feast and More
One of the biggest highlights of the festival has traditionally been the free vegetarian feast served to the tens of thousands of attendees and this year’s festival will feature the same sumptuous feast for the public. Festival-goers can also visit the South Asian Bazaar, various exhibits and a “Kids Zone”. The Festival of India is focused on presenting the ancient, spiritual culture of India with a contemporary and modern flavour. Throughout the course of the weekend, organizers expect over 35,000 visitors, both local and from around the world. The festival is entirely free and open to the public.

About the Festival of India
The Festival of India is modeled after the ancient festival of Ratha-Yatra, or Festival of Chariots. The original Ratha-Yatra is celebrated in Orissa, India and annually draws over one million attendees. Hare Krishna centres worldwide celebrate the same festival with over 25 cities in North America alone hosting their own Festivals of India.

Known as the largest Festival of India in North America, Toronto’s festival has specifically focused on presenting the annual event as an opportunity for Torontonians to learn more about the vast and deep spiritual culture of the east in a contemporary, family-oriented fashion.

In the late 1960’s, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the worldwide Hare Krishna society, inaugurated the North American version of this ancient Indian parade in San Francisco. With its roots steeped in spiritual tradition, the last 36 years has seen Toronto’s version of the festival become publicly-embraced as event that brings a colourful, vibrant culture to a mainstream audience.

For more information about the festival, please visit our website:
http://www.feedyoursoul.to