by Debbi | Jul 7, 2010 | Birthday Party, Downtown, Events
We had so much fun with our block party last year, we're having another one! And really, how could we *not* celebrate our 21st birthday?
We don't have a lot of details yet, but here's what you need to know:
- When: Saturday, August 14
- Where: 8th Street, between Massachusetts and New Hampshire Streets
- Live music by Valentine and the Ones, the same band we had last year
- Beer garden
- Family friendly event
We'll have more surprises to announce over the next month, but mark your calendar. This is an event you won't want to miss!
Be sure to use the hashtag #sb21 when tweeting about the party, for my fellow geeks on Twitter.
by Debbi | Jan 29, 2010 | Events, KU Basketball, Ottawa, Random Holidays, Specials
Our great state turns 149 years young today! Kansas became a state on this day way back in 1861. (And the coolest university in the country was created four years later, to borrow a line from KU Info.)
One of our Twitter followers wondered aloud if we would have any drinks in honor of Kansas Day. To be honest, this had not yet occurred to us, but we love any reason to celebrate- so yes, we will!
All day today, you can enjoy a Sunflower Shandy for $3.50. It's Boulevard Wheat and lemonade. And yes, we realize that Boulevard is actually made in the state that sits directly east of Kansas, but pretend it's made somewhere else for today. Focus instead on the fact that Kansas usually leads the nation in wheat production.
And looking ahead…
Is it ironic that the big in-state rivalry basketball game is the day after Kansas' birthday?
I know we aren't really a sports bar and don't have huge, fill-the-whole-wall sized TV's, but if you're looking for a place to watch the game tomorrow, stop by our Lawrence or Ottawa location. Both places will have free chili dogs during the game!
by Debbi | Dec 20, 2009 | Bar Band, Birthday Party, Events, People
Our Man on the Street and former bartender Pat turns 40 on Christmas Eve, so we threw him a party last night. Instead of the usual fracas at The Sandbar, though, we took it down the street to The Barrel House, a dueling piano bar that opened earlier this year.
If you haven't visited our neighboring bar yet, you should. It's great for groups and parties, and the piano players are great fun.
Our party was in the Blue Moon Lounge, one of the VIP balcony rooms that overlook the main bar area. We had our own private bartender and lots of space for friends and family.
Pat got called up on stage, where the piano player made fun of him for awhile, forced him to sit atop the piano, and made him chug a beer or two. They sang Happy Birthday, too.
Another highlight of the night was a special performance by the Bar Band, and they played Happy Birthday to Pat also.
The birthday boy has been planning a trip to Key West to celebrate his birthday for months now, and he leaves this week. We all hope he had fun last night! If you see Pat, be sure to wish him a happy birthday.
by Debbi | Dec 5, 2009 | Birthday Party, People, Pub Crawl
The last few days have been a flurry of activity and hurricane snow at The Sandbar!
Thursday was bartender Hayley's 23rd birthday. Hayley is one of our newest employees but she's actually been here for about a year and a half.
A random group of friends and assorted Sandbar staff helped her celebrate. Of course there was a birthday hurricane involved:
And then on Friday night, it was Bettina's turn to be the birthday girl. She was determined to wear the mermaid costume this year after another birthday girl beat her to it last year.
Heather even stuck around after her shift was over and danced on the bar.
That wasn't all, though- for a Friday night that was relatively light on customers, there was still a lot of activity.
Our friend Ashley was back in town for a visit this weekend. She moved to Baltimore almost a year ago, but she's been back to visit a few times. Dave made this Tennessee native's night when he played "Rocky Top" on the jukebox near the end of the night.
A group of sorority girls on a senior pub crawl stopped by for a visit before they made their way down Mass Street.
And, my day-job friend Lacey brought in a few friends to celebrate her last few days in Lawrence. She's hitting the road for Fort Worth and TCU next week to start a new job. Everyone needs a hurricane to send them off in style.
And that was just Thursday and Friday. Who knows what will happen tonight when Ashley hits the bar again!
More pictures on our Flickr photostream and our Facebook page.
by Debbi | Nov 12, 2009 | Birthday Party, Halloween, People
One of our very good longtime friends turns 40 today!
Curtis and Dave are buddies from their college days, and there's a whole group of those guys who turned 40 this year. Today it's Curtis' turn to celebrate the big birthday.
One of our memorable moments of Curtis at The Sandbar is from Halloween in the mid-90's. For Halloween in 1995, Curtis and Todd (another long time friend who turned 40 this year) dressed as Hans and Franz from the Saturday Night Live sketch.
They were so funny, and so popular, in this costume that we invited them to return in 1996- but this time as bartenders. Todd and Curtis spent some or all of the evening behind the bar slinging drinks for the masses, dancing on the bar, and generally behaving as "girlie men" all night.
They certainly did pump the crowd up!
Today, Curtis has a wife and two adorable boys, and enjoys a job serving his fellow Jayhawks. All of us at The Sandbar wish him a super happy birthday, and if you see him anytime soon, buy him a drink!
(Photos provided by Curtis)
