Every first Friday of the month, I park in the dirt lot across the street from All Saints café on Railroad Ave (the lot starts to fill up fast around 6:30 pm). I get out of my car and deploy a myriad of text messages to my friends in an attempt to establish a meeting point. I am one of hundreds of people that come together to check out what is happening at Railroad Square Art Park.
First Friday is an event at Railroad Square Art Park that showcases local art, live music, and local Tallahassee cuisine. The many galleries that are open for First Friday feature Tallahassee's local artists and students of the art program at Florida State University. When you stop by the galleries, there is a good chance that you will crossed paths with an artist whose art is on display. There is a wide variety of styles and mediums to see throughout the night. The styles on display run the gamut from realism to expressionism and everything in between. The last First Friday that I attended, I saw some exciting metal work from Bachelor of Fine Arts student Matthew Denes that used various pieces of yard equipment to emulate sea life such as turtles and jellyfish.
Live music is prevalent throughout the night. Local bands set up in different areas of Railroad Square and draw some pretty big crowds. At any moment there can be 3 or four bands playing different genres of music, so if you weren't feeling the punchy brass sounds of the Ska band playing in front of the 621 Gallery but still wanted some horns, there could be some reggae going on down in front of The Other Side Vintage.
And the food. The food at Railroad Square for First Friday is definitely my favorite part of the whole event. There are those staple foods like cheese fries, hot dogs and burgers, but just because they're expected doesn't mean they're something to gloss over. Being a carnivorous man myself, I was surprised how much I enjoyed the vegetarian Hare Krishna food table. I tried it for the first time a year and a half ago, and since then I've always brought some home to eat later. The flavors and meaty textures that the vegetarian meal provides really fill you up. If you are looking to check out every gallery and quirky shop they have, I would definitely recommend getting a big plate from the Hare Krishna's and load up on some of the delicious energy rich food they have. It's only 5 dollars so if you forget to have dinner they've got you covered.
If you are looking for something to do tonight, check out the First Friday Gallery Hop at Railroad Square. I promise that you won't be disappointed.
Tags: Art, Art Park, Cuisine, Events, First Friday, Food, Live Music, Railroad Square, Tallahassee, Vegetarian
Pedro SemperteguiPedro Sempértegui is a recent graduate of Florida State University's English department. After growing up in the quiet suburb of Coral Springs, Fl, he moved to the capital to pursue writing. Since Tallahassee's nightlife has introduced him to new music, awesome food, and delicious microbrews, it's only right that tries to pass on that knowledge.
