Monday, May 11, 2015

#cornerconstruction

Big things are happening in Downtown Auburn. With new restaurants, retailers and brand new oak trees, Auburn is looking better than ever, but it doesn't stop there. Downtown Auburn is getting a makeover! Although things are going to be a little hectic for the next few months, we can't wait to show off our beautiful new downtown in the fall!

 
Today, May 11, marks the first day of the new Toomer's Corner Intersection Improvements Project. The intersection will close to allow for construction to begin. The renovation will bring several improvements to the intersection including raising the intersection to match the elevation of the sidewalks, new crosswalks and a permanent tiger paw made of paviers will be constructed. Aside from the road itself, the sidewalks of downtown will be included in the makeover with new trees, brick seat walls and overall general sidewalk improvements. New decorative traffic signal poles will be added as well to enhance lighting and overall appeal.


I know what your thinking, how in the world am I going to shop, dine and play in Downtown Auburn with all of this construction going on? Have no fear, downtown Auburn's retail stores, restaurants, and bars will remain open and fully functional throughout the whole process. Don't let gates and road closures stop you from enjoying all that Downtown Auburn has to offer. With free parking until August 17, there are no excuses. To make parking decisions easier, below is a list of all the available parking for the summer from www.auburnalabama.org/cornerconstruction!

Parking:


Downtown parking will be free during the Corner Construction project. Parking will still be limited to two hours (on-street) and four hours (parking lots) during weekday business hours (Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) to keep parking as available as possible for everyone who wants to visit downtown. All three floors of the municipal parking deck will be opened for free parking to offset on-street parking that will be unavailable during construction. The municipal parking deck will be available for four-hour parking during businesses hours and will remain open on evenings and weekends.



Free, on-street parking will be available on Gay Street, Tichenor Avenue, Wright Street and as follows:

South College Street Parking: Even though South College Street will be closed to through traffic from Thach Avenue to Magnolia Avenue, normal on-street parallel parking will still be available. A cut-through will be created in the median to allow drivers visiting downtown to get back to Thach Avenue. New, temporary, on-street parking will be created on the campus side of the road.

North College Street Parking: North College Street will be closed to through traffic from Glenn Avenue to Magnolia Avenue. Some parking will be available up to about the mid-block crossing. A temporary cul-de-sac will be created with on-street striping to allow traffic to park and leave. Cars will still be able to access the University Inn during construction.

East Magnolia Avenue Parking: East Magnolia Avenue will be closed to through traffic from Gay Street to College Street. Some parking will be available up to the mid-block crossing. A temporary cul-de-sac will be created with on-street striping to allow traffic to park and leave. Cars will be able to access the Compass Bank parking lot from Gay Street.

West Magnolia Avenue Parking: West Magnolia Avenue will be closed to through traffic from Wright Street to College Street, with Wright Street serving as a detour for northbound traffic during the construction.

Don't let traffic stress you out. The City of Auburn has carefully created a traffic plan with you in mind. Below are the detour routes from www.auburnalabama.org/cornerconstruction:

Traffic:



All traffic will detour around the Toomer's corner intersection.

Detour Routes:

Northbound and southbound traffic on College Street will detour to Gay Street via Thach Avenue and Glenn Avenue.

Eastbound traffic on Magnolia Avenue will detour via Wright Street, Glenn Avenue and Gay Street.

Westbound traffic on Magnolia Avenue will detour via Gay Street, Glenn Avenue and Toomer Street.

We are so excited to see how the improvements will impact our city and make shopping, dining and playing more enjoyable to residents and visitors. For updates on the Corner Construction, please visit www.auburnalabama.org/cornerconstruction and be sure to use the hashtag #cornerconstruction to easily find updates on Facebook and Twitter!

This week in Auburn-Opelika:


May 12: Discovery Hike at the Kreher Preserve & Nature Center at 3:30 p.m.
May 12: Auburn Baseball vs. Morehead State at 6 p.m. at Plainsman Park
May 14: Nature Walk at the Kreher Preserve & Nature Center at 8:30 a.m.
May 14: May Concert Series featuring SoulCo from 6-7:30 p.m. at Town Creek Park
May 16: Aviation Education Outreach Fly-In at the Auburn Regional Airport
May 16: 23rd Annual Fishing Rodeo from 8-11 a.m. at the Auburn Technology Park South Lake
May 17: 5K Trail Run, Tot Trot & Sunday Stroll at the Kreher Preserve & Nature Center at 1 p.m.
May 17: Spring Art Show & open House at the East Lake Estates Model Home from 1-4 p.m.

For more information on these events and more, visit www.aotourism.com!

Monday, May 4, 2015

Boda Getta BBQ

Summer is right around the corner, and what better way to kick it off than a good ole fashioned BBQ? Katie Tynes, Auburn Chamber of Commerce PR & Marketing Intern, is here to tell us all about it!
 
The Auburn Chamber of Commerce is hosting its third Boda Getta BBQ competition at University Station RV Resort off Highway 14 in Auburn on Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9. This Kansas City Barbecue Society sanctioned event will bring professional and amateur barbecue teams from all over the Southeast to the Plains to compete for the Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion titles. Event proceeds will benefit FACES- The Foundation for Auburn's Continuing Enrichment in Schools- a local non-profit that funds and encourages creative programs in classrooms within Auburn City Schools.
 

 
The two-day competition will boast barbecue in every style and form. For those who consider barbecuing more of a spectator sport, there will be live entertainment throughout the weekend, vendors such as Sweet Bones, Cindy Cakes, Snack Shack and Fork in the Road, LLC, sponsors, antique tractor exhibits, a kids' zone with inflatables and crafts and a children's one-mile Fun Run. General admission tickets will be $5 per person per day at the gate, while children age 15 and under accompanied by parents can attend for free.
 

Professional Teams will have the opportunity to compete for $11,000 in cash prizes along with the Grand Champion title. Amateur "tailgate" teams will compete for the chance to have their team announced as the "Best Tailgaters in Auburn" at the first home football game on the newest and largest college jumbotron in the country.
 
The weekend festivities will begin at 5 p.m. on Friday night, with entertainment from the Fountain City Players from 7 to 10:30 p.m. On Saturday morning, children from throughout Auburn City Schools will get an early start at the FACES one-mile fun run. The Kid's Zone will open at 9 a.m. when gates open back up to the general public.
 

Families can meet Travis the Camel and Fred the Alpaca from Fred the Alpaca from Farmer Brown's Party Animals petting zoo from 9 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday morning. The Kid's Zone will also include a tractor exhibit, inflatables and more. Entertainment from the local Spicer's Music will begin at 11 a.m. and play until the competition winners are announced at 3 p.m.
 


Who is FACES?

All the proceeds from the event will go toward FACES, the Foundation for Auburn's Continuing Enrichment in Schools. FACES is a non-profit organization that promotes innovative opportunities that enrich the educational experiences of students at Auburn City Schools. The Foundation falls under the Auburn Chamber of Commerce and funds mini-grants of up to $600 to teachers promoting programs for classroom experience enhancement. With over 1,000 grand proposals received since its start in 1985, they have given a total of 567 mini-grants to teachers in the amount of over $224,000.
 

Event Sponsors:

Presenting Sponsor: Auburn Rotary Club
Pit Master Sponsor: Prewett Insurance Group
Pit Master Sponsor: Kinnucan's
Backyard Griller Sponsor: MAX Credit Union
 
Auburn Chamber of Commerce
Verge Pipe Media
Alabama Contract Sales
Country's Barbecue
 
For a detailed schedule of events or for more information, please visit www.bodagettabbq.com!
 

This week in Auburn-Opelika:

May 5: Koresh Dance Company at the Opelika Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m.
May 7: May Concert Series at Town Creek Park from 6-7:30 p.m.
May 7 & 8: S'More Fun with Mom at the Kreher Preserve & Nature Center from 6-8:30 p.m.
May 8-9: Boda Getta BBQ at University Station RV Resort
May 8-10: Auburn Baseball vs. Alabama at Plainsman Park (F: 6 p.m., Sat: 3 p.m., Sun: 1 p.m.)
May 9 & 10: Auburn University Graduation ceremonies at the Auburn Arena
May 9: Garden in the Park at the Opelika Municipal Park from 8 a.m.- 3 p.m.


 

Monday, April 27, 2015

Tiger Trek 2015

 
Auburn is everywhere. Whether you are catching a flight to Europe or in the grocery store in your hometown, chances are you have had a "War Eagle" moment, but sometimes those little glimpses of the Auburn family just aren't enough. The Auburn Alumni Association has a cure, Tiger Trek 2015. Before we dive into the excitement that is Auburn football, the Auburn Alumni Association offers fans, alumni and those that need to be swayed a chance to have a night out with the Auburn family and some of its favorite members.

Emerald Coast Auburn Club Tiger Trek 2015
 
 

Who are these people?

Auburn Clubs are the heart and soul of the Auburn Alumni Association. They play a very important role in Auburn's presence throughout the United States. There are currently 90 active Auburn Clubs all over the country, stretching as far west as California and as far east as the Carolinas, and everywhere in between. These clubs work tirelessly throughout the year to bring Auburn Football watch parties, Freshman Send Offs, Annual Meetings, community service projects and student scholarships to communities everywhere. For more information on Auburn Clubs, visit www.auburnclubs.org.

Emerald Coast Auburn Club participates in Auburn Alumni in Action at a beach clean up event.
 
 

What should I expect?

Every Tiger Trek is a little different, but all of them have one thing, or person in common, Auburn Head Football Coach Gus Malzahn. Of course Aubie makes an appearance as well, what Auburn event is complete without him? On a serious note, these special events serve as a fundraiser for student scholarships that are given by the Auburn Clubs. On top of the great food and fun for all ages, the Auburn-Opelika Tourism Bureau will be there to provide information on everything from hotel accommodations for football season, dining options in our beautiful city and shopping to golf information and even a few giveaways and chances to win fabulous prizes. Be sure to stop by and see us, or as always, visit www.aotourism.com.
 
 

Sign me up! When, where and how?

There are seven different opportunities and places to attend a Tiger Trek. Be sure to visit www.aualum.org/clubs to find out more information on each event and to register!
 
May 4: Wiregrass Regional Tiger Trek
Host City: Eufaula, AL
 
May 5: West Georgia Tiger Trek
Host City: Lagrange, GA
 
May 6: Atlanta Area Tiger Trek
Host City: Atlanta, GA
 
May 7: Alabama Gulf Coast Tiger Trek
Host City: Orange Beach, AL
 
May 11: Shoals Area Tiger Trek
Host City: Florence, AL
 
May 12: North Alabama Regional Tiger Trek
Host City: Decatur, AL
 
July 13: Greater Birmingham Tiger Trek
Host City: Birmingham, AL

Gus Malzahn speaks to the Greater Birmingham Tiger Trek.

Too far away? Many Auburn Clubs have annual meetings that feature other head coaches, assistant coaches, former players and other guests from Auburn University. For a complete calendar of events, visit www.auburnclubs.org.

This week in Auburn-Opelika:

April 24-27: ICYHOT Southern Tennis Tournament
April 29: Auburn Baseball vs. Kennesaw State at 6 p.m.
April 30: 10th Annual Mayors Jeans & Jackets Ball at 6 p.m.
May 1: First Fridays "Shop Late, Eat Local" in Downtown Opelika
May2: Bo Bikes Bama
May 2: Color My College 5K from 10 a.m.- noon