Happy Spring Downtown Huntsville! In this edition of the Downtown Explorer, we announce our St. Patricks Day Porch Parade winners, Easter events to attend, and Spring activities to enjoy in Downtown! As the weather warms up, come out and see what the Rocket City Center has to offer.

Our St. Patrick's Day Porch Parade ran from March 12th through March 21st with 8 residents and 6 businesses partaking in the decoration contest! After a close poll on Instagram with over 250 votes, we are so excited to announce our St. Patrick’s Day Porch Parade winners!

1st place: 227 Walker!
2nd place: 410 Newman!
3rd place: 412 Holmes!
Honorable Mention: 405 White!

Best Downtown Business Decorations: VanValkenburgh & Wilkinson, Realtors

Thank you to everyone who participated and voted in our Porch Parade Decoration Contest! Stay tuned to our social media channels for future Porch Parades and other competitions!

The Easter holiday is quickly approaching and Downtown Huntsville has many Easter events for you to enjoy.

Char Restaurants Easter Brunch: There are two ways to celebrate Easter with Char this year! Dine-in and enjoy their full brunch & lunch menus beginning at 10am on Sunday, April 4th. Or, celebrate from a distance! View their brunch family meal package here and call to place your order by Friday, April 2nd at noon for pickup Sunday, April 4th between 10:30am-3pm.

Burritt on the Mountain Easter Jubilee: Celebrate springtime with Burritt on the Mountain at their annual Easter Jubilee! Bring your favorite Easter basket to collect eggs and special treats, try your hand at panning for gems, make a fun Easter craft, and so much more!

Commerce Kitchen Easter Brunch: Enjoy a southern three-course feast with indoor or outdoor seating at Commerce Kitchen on Sunday April 4th from 10am-3pm. You can also enjoy this meal from the comfort of your own home by calling in your order and picking it up curbside. View the dine-in menu here, the take-home menu here, and make reservations here.

Purveyor Easter Brunch Buffet: Indulge in an Easter Brunch Buffet at Purveyor on Sunday April 4th from 11am-2pm. The buffet includes a raw seafood bar, small bites, a meat carving station, and sides. Make reservations online.

1892 East Restaurant Easter Brunch: 1892 East will be open for brunch from 10am to 2pm on Easter Sunday with their regular brunch menu. View the menu here and be sure to call to make reservations!

Rhythm on Monroe Easter: Friday, April 2nd through Sunday, April 4th, Rhythm on Monroe is offering a special Easter Menu. Learn more and make reservations online!

Ruth's Chris Steak House Take-Home Easter: Ruth's Chris is offering a steakhouse-inspired, carryout Easter dinner again this year! Complete with all your favorite dishes – including their signature Beef Tenderloin – this is a multi-course meal you can pick-up, reheat, and serve. Deadline to place an order is Wednesday, March 31.

Super Saturday Sidewalk Sale: Downtown Huntsville will be filled with local art vendors and buskers again on Saturday, April 3rd from 11am to 3pm. This Easter edition of our sidewalk sale is a great opportunity to find cute Easter baskets and gifts right before the holiday!

Cotton Row Easter Brunch: Sunday, April 4th, Chef James Boyce and his culinary team are preparing a holiday brunch! A three-course meal $42 per person.

Warmer weather is on its way, which means that getting outdoors is a must this week! Here are some activities to get you enjoying springtime in Downtown Huntsville:

Blue Bikes, presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama: Rent a blue bike from one of the 11 stations in Downtown Huntsville and explore! There are 30 bikes, across the downtown area. This is a great physical activity to enjoy with friends and family while also staying outdoors. Plus, it only costs a simple $2 per 30 minutes of riding. Download the Movatic app to get started!

Secret Art Trail, presented by Polaris: With 19 "secret" art pieces and a brand new segment with 7 art pieces just added, the Secret Art Trail can be a great day activity for the whole family! Grab a card at the Huntsville/Madison County Visitors Center or print one off online and head downtown to find these unique pieces!

Downtown Parks: Looking for a new park in Downtown Huntsville? From playgrounds to tennis courts, our downtown parks have so much to offer! You can watch our Explorer Vlog Park Videos here to get a better look at what we mean!

Check out more outdoor activities on our website!

Sports and food always go hand in hand, especially in Downtown Huntsville. This week we want to showcase our amazing Huntsville Hockey teams, but we can't leave you with an empty stomach! So, enjoy these lists of our favorite breakfast and lunch items in the downtown core. All in this edition of the Downtown Explorer!

Huntsville Hockey is something you have to experience live! Our Huntsville Havoc professional hockey team is halfway through their season and need your support during their games! Come cheer them on at the Von Braun Center this week.

Upcoming home games:
Feb. 26 @ 7pm
Feb. 27 @7pm
Mar. 14 @5pm

The same goes for our UAH Hockey team, coming to the close of their season. Cheer on the chargers for their final games!

Upcoming home games:
Mar. 6 @4pm
Mar. 7 @2pm

If you haven't been downtown early in the morning for a cup of coffee and a breakfast burrito, then you truly haven't experienced Downtown Huntsville! Here is our list of our favorite breakfast items in the downtown core:

Hippea Camper has officially moved into Beezr on Northside Square, we recommend you try their Hashroom Bake (hashbrowns with vegan mozzarella, mushrooms, and vegan susuage)
If you enjoy a french toast, we recommend the Blueberry French Toast at Rhythm on Monroe topped with whipped honey butter, bacon, and more!
Commerce Kitchen is a beautiful spot for an outdoor brunch with friends. Try their Cast Iron Skillet & Eggs meal with a delicious Mimosa.
Have a big appetite? Visit La Esquina Cocina for some Steak & Eggs!
Need a wide selection? 1892 East Restaurant has everything from eggs, to chicken, to tofu. However, we do recommend you try their Eggs Benedict!
A winner of our Super Seven Breakfast Items is Below the Radar's Biscuits & Gravy! A great southern comfort food.
When it comes to Acai Bowls, you better head to Honest Coffee Roasters! Seriously, we recommend any of them!
Moon Bakeshop has so many great options (including their coffee), but our favorite is the Bacon Cheddar Scone!
If you want a small breakfast, try Cozy Cow's smoothie options!
Fan of pancakes? Try Another Broken Egg's Buttermilk Pancakes with various topping options!
Of course, if you are a coffee lover, we have to recommend the Craft Coffee Trail with 10 local coffee shops around the downtown area!

The past few weeks, the DHI Staff have been trying various lunch options in the downtown core and we challenge you to do the same! Here is our list of recommendations:

Inside Beezr you can find the Champagne Taco Kitchen, offering just that! We recommend the Carnitas Tacos (Pulled-pork confit, roasted corn, Guajillo rojo salsa, cilantro, cotija)!
Corner Pour recently announced they would be opening for lunch on the weekends, and we are so glad they made that decision. Our recommendation here is the Miso Soup!
Humphrey's Bar & Grill has a wide selection of chicken options so we recommend The Humphrey's Bird (a classic chicken sandwich).
The Poppy's recently opened kitchen, The Parliament, has a great selection of UK-inspired cuisines. We recommend starting with the French Onion Soup!
Sushi! That's what we recommend at Oshi Poke Bowl & Sushi!
Pecan Encrusted Crispy Trout...if that doesn't make your mouth water, I don't know what will. Try it at Rhythm on Monroe!
If you are at the Furniture Factory for a drink, try their hamburger steak topped with mushrooms and onions. A great dish to pair with a cold glass of beer!
Looking for a salad? Try the Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna at Commerce Kitchen!
Try the Kimchi Fried Rice at Big Oh's for a kick of delicious Asian cuisine.
Jack Brown's Burger & Beer Joint has some of the best burgers in the world, we are convinced. We can't recommend just one, go try them all!
Cheese lover? Get the Mac Melt at MELT Huntsville! Mac & Cheese inside a grilled cheese? Yes, please!
For a family meal, grab the double-wide or triple-wide meals at Moe's Original BBQ!
The Heady Boi Salad at Phat Sammy's is such a unique and delicious creation (like everything at Phat Sammys)!
Fan of Buffalo Chicken? Try the Buffalo Chicken Pizza at Sam & Gregs Pizzeria (or just try any pizza)!
Pane e Vino has the best pasta selection. We recommend trying the Butternut Squash Ravioli!
Craving a specialty taco? You can build your own at Taco Mama in downtown!
Like the idea of creating your own lunch? Create your own Calzone at Marios Five Points!
Last but certainly not least, we recommend you try the BBQ Pork Sandwich at Ted's BBQ!

Lunch in Downtown Huntsville is a great way to enjoy downtown during the day while also supporting our local businesses. Remember most of these restaurants offer curbside pickup, to-go ordering, and some even offer delivery (check out GrubSouth)! So, will you accept our challenge to have lunch with us? If so, use the hashtag #LunchWithDHI and tag us so we can share your favorite lunch items in the Rocket City Center!

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