Lawrence Downtown District reveals the city's heart and soul

October 17, 2001 | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LAWRENCE, Kan. — The Lawrence Downtown District is a mecca of diversity that communicates the sophistication, culture and originality of the city. With locally owned, one-of-a-kind restaurants, unrivaled boutiques and shops, as well as entertainment and artistic influences everywhere you look, no where is the charm and character of the city more prevalent.

Art lovers and collectors flock to Lawrence's galleries and studios sprinkled throughout the district. Appreciation of the arts is contagious in Lawrence. Rotating and permanent original works can be found in many boutiques, cafes, restaurants and even businesses along the famous tree-lined Massachusetts "Mass" Street.

Entertainment also adds to the Downtown District's energy. More than a dozen venues for entertainment offer live music almost any night of the week. Lawrence has been called the "new Seattle" by many in the music industry for the large number of up-and-coming musicians who originate here. It is not unusual to catch someone like Wynton Marsalis "jamming" at a local bar after a concert.

The Downtown Lawrence Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit is the only outdoor sculpture exhibit of its kind in the United States. The exhibit changes every spring offering outstanding works from local, regional and national artists.

Liberty Hall, a restored opera house, provides a beautiful setting for live entertainment. The hall houses a movie theater, which shows classical, foreign and art house cinema. Liberty Hall is also home to the Imagination Workshop Radio Show and Goodtime Radio Revue. Both old-fashioned radio shows are performed in front of a live audience. The Imagination Workshop has been honored with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's Gold Program Award for the best live radio show in the country. The Imagination Workshop is broadcast on more than 60 stations throughout the country.

The Downtown Lawrence Farmers' Market in the Downtown District is the oldest and largest farmers' market in the state. Located in the 1000 block of Vermont, the market is open May through November on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The market offers everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to baked goods, flowers and herbs.