Hit the Bricks August 10th:
Featuring the 2019 ETX Brewing Co. Cart Derby
On the second Saturday of every month, people from all over converge on Downtown Tyler for Hit the Bricks. Downtown Tyler will be bursting with family fun, entertainment, music, food, history tours, art, and of course, the chance to check out a great locally-owned restaurant, bar, or retail establishment.
This month features ETX Brewing Co. Cart Derby with adult and kids races right down Broadway Ave. Enjoy this fun event as a spectator or participant.
- Other events going on for Hit the Bricks are:
- 7am-3pm: Cafe 1948 will be featuring “Shave” Ice for the first time this year!
- 8am-12 noon: Rose City Farmer’s Market brings all that’s fresh straight to you including veggies, bread, herbs, pasture-raised beef, lamb, pork, chicken, and turkey, free-range/non GMO eggs, goat cheeses, and tons more.
- 9-11am: Saturday Morning Cars & Tacos at ETX Brewing Co.
- 9am-12 noon: ETX Brewing Co. Cart Derby
- 10am-2pm: Jeweled Mosaic Workshop by Cassie Edmonds Mosaics, located at the Downtown Tyler Loft and Studio of Cassie Edmonds, 124 S. College Ave. #102.
- 10am-4pm: Family scavenger hunt at the Goodman Museum and Paper Plate China event – Make your own “hand-painted china” with paper plates. All supplies are provided, free.
- 10am-4pm: Tyler Comic Con Mini Event: The Downtown Tyler Square is being taken over by Tyler Comic Con. This is free to the public. Food trucks and Geeky Art and Vendors will be around plus it’s free to set up, just let Tyler Comic Con know your coming.
- 10am-5pm: Treasure Hunt at Ye Olde City Antique Mall – Find gift certificates hidden around the store.
- 11am-12 midnight: Growler Fest at ETX Brewing Co. – ½ priced growlers and ½ priced growler fills all day.
- 12 noon-4pm: 10 Year Anniversary Celebration Art Exhibit at Gallery Main Street
- 12 noon-4pm: Whimsical Blown Egg Art Collection at Smith County Historical Society – Admission is free to see characters such as Star Wars, Batman, Spiderman, Hulk, and more. Also, take a photo with Lady Justice who stood atop the old Smith County Courthouse for 46 years.
- 1-5:30pm: Sip & Shop Tour – Departing from the Downtown Square at 1pm and touring the East Texas area. Tickets are $99 and sell out fast.
- 7-9pm: “Grease” Sing Along at Liberty Hall – Family-fun! Come join the fun and relive the past.
- 7-11:30pm: Solo Art Show featuring Sharon Grimes at Martin Walker Law Firm – Enjoy a new art exhibition featuring paintings by Sharon Grimes, complimentary refreshments, free admission, and an awesome after party ($5 cover after 9pm featuring DJ Kinz).
- Anytime: The self-guided walking tour of the Half Mile of History is an outdoor, half-mile loop around the square that commemorates significant people, places, and events in Tyler. A digital brochure for the self-guided tour is at ow.ly/s8iD30czlpb.
Live Entertainment
- 9am-12 noon: Live music at the Rose City Farmers Market. No cover and all ages are welcome.
- 8:30-10:30pm: Matt Raker Trio at ETX Brewing Co. No cover and all ages are welcome.
- 9pm-1am: Teazur at The Garage Bar – No one under 21 after 8pm. There is a cover charge at the door.
- 9pm-1am: Rick’s on the Square. 21 and older only after 9pm. There is a cover charge.
Shopping Fun
While you’re in Downtown enjoying one of these special events, be sure to check out some of the Downtown businesses. These stores offer unique items that can only be found in Downtown Tyler.
- 903 Handmade, located at 253 S. Broadway, has unique handmade collections from quality artisans – locals, artists from around Texas, and craftspeople from around the country.
- Artfix Cultured Studios offers a place to view and purchase items from a variety of local artists as well as take art classes.
- Backbone Hair + Beauty, located at 235 S. Broadway, is open 9am-5pm. Get a stylish new hairdo along with experiencing a downtown jibe in this hip new hair salon. They also sell a line of cool t-shirts and hair products.
- Moss: Where Flowers are Fair features local and fairly traded fresh flowers, plantings, locally-made apothecaries, and vintage finds.
- Ridiculously Good Branding and Thread Co. offers a design studio and retail store specializing in branding, print materials, and social media. Their shirts are printed in-house using eco-friendly inks on fair trade shirts with a lot of love. There is always something new and cool to see here.
- The Salvation Army Family Thrift Store, located at 723 N. Broadway, offers the bargain hunter tons of gently used stuff plus a load of bargains. They feature everything from furniture to clothing and kitchen gadgets to electronics.
- Ye Olde City Antique Mall, 302 E. Locust St., offers great treasures, antiques, and a world of memories.
Eating Your Heart Out
For lunch and dinner sink your teeth into one of the local Downtown eateries. These are open on Saturdays:
- Culture ETX, located at 118 W. Erwin St., Tyler, opening soon!
- Don Juan’s Mexican Restaurant, located at 113 E. Erwin St., is open 12 noon-10pm.
- Jack Ryan’s Steak & Chophouse, located at 102 N. College Ave., is open 5-10pm.
- Cafe 1948, located at 110 N. College (in the lobby of the Plaza Tower), is open 7am-5pm.
- Black Pearl, located at 106 W. Erwin St., is open 4pm-12 midnight.
- The Foundry Coffee House, located at 202 S. Broadway, is open at 7am-11pm.
- Garage Bar, located at 418 E. Erwin St., is open 4pm-1am.
- Mi Mexico Lindo, located at 405 W. Front St., is open 6am-10pm.
- The Porch at ETX Brewery, located at 221 S. Broadway, is open 7:30am-12 midnight. It is pet-friendly outside on the patio.
- Rhea’s Hot Links, located at 204 S. Fannin Ave., is open Saturdays 9am-5:30pm.
- Rick’s on the Square, located at 104 W. Erwin St., is open 4pm-1am.
- SportsZone, located at 115 E. Erwin St., is open at 3pm-1am.
- Strada Caffè, located at 302 E. Front St., is open 8am-10pm.
- Taqueria El Lugar, located at 111 W. Ferguson, is open 10am-8pm.
- Tapatio’s, located at 614 E. Valentine St., is open 6am-10pm.
There are usually a few food trucks hanging around Downtown as well so there’s no excuse to leave hungry with all of the dining options because in Downtown you can have your cake and eat it too.
Hit the Bricks is held rain or shine, cold or hot- there is always something to do Downtown on the second Saturday of every month.
For more information go to visittyler.com/HitTheBricks, find the event on Facebook, or download the FREE app “EGuide Tyler TX.”
