Farmers market district

[Jesseda]

When are they going to fix that area up.. i looks like it could be a great place to produce shop along with handmade products, but the area still looks run down

[mugofbeer]

Maps4? (lol)

[DammitDan]

Is that part of the Core to Shore area?

[ssandedoc]

The Farmers Market main building is suppose to undergo renovations. At least I saw the plans for it 2 years ago.

http://www.okcfarmersmarket.com/html/about.html

[flippity]

the inside of the Farmer's Market building is pretty neat but it's still run down. I went to a huge Christmas party there last year and it was perfect. big dance floor, and a stage for a band...bar area..lots of room.

[ThePlainsman]

Two words. Roller Girls!!

[metro]

http://www.okctalk.com/okc-metro-are...remodeled.html

[LakeEffect]

Who is "they"? Who should fix it up?

[Urbanized]

It is not a part of the C2S area. Also, from what I understand the owners are being very deliberate with their renovations of the main building, and eventually expect for the work to blossom to the rest of the property. They first had to rework all of the HVAC and add an elevator, both very expensive propositions. They have been trying to do things with a historic preservation approach.

The upstairs in the main building is a fantastic room. I think it is every bit as cool as Cain's Ballroom, and believe it could be home to lot of the same types of concerts if a promoter took an interest in it.

It actually has a tie to Cain's in that when Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys relocated to Oklahoma from Fort Worth, their first choice was OKC. They performed at the Farmer's Market, in that building, and broadcast their shows on local radio (WKY, if I remember right). However, they had a dispute with the sponsor of their old show in Fort Worth (a flour company) over leaving, and the sponsor pulled ads from the local station in an effort to get them to pull the show. It worked, and so Bob and co. moved to T-town and Cain's. The rest is history.

The Farmer's Market building used to have huge dances on Saturdays with music by Jude and Jody, broadcast live, and lots of other great concerts and such. I would sure love to see that return.

Right now the building hosts events like the aforementioned roller derby, fights, and probably the coolest event in OKC, The Girlie Show.

[gen70]

Way to go..Farmers Market!!

[CCOKC]

I went to the last Girlie show and it was absolutely packed. I agree this venue has real potential to be a special place. The parking was a bit of a problem though.

[Urbanized]

[Praedura]

Nice video from OETA, on the Oklahoma News Report (aired on 8-31-12):

[CuatrodeMayo]

Here is a masterplan for the district that was done a few years ago:

http://studioarc.com/portfolio/civic...ct-master-plan

[sooner88]

I've been to a few events there, including a concert about 7 years ago. I had the same feeling that others have said, this feels a lot like Cain's and with the right people behind it we could get some really cool bands here. We don't really have a great mid-size venue like Tulsa does, and I think that Farmer's Market would draw a good crowd with the right bands

[BDP]

I've been to a few events there, including a concert about 7 years ago. I had the same feeling that others have said, this feels a lot like Cain's and with the right people behind it we could get some really cool bands here. We don't really have a great mid-size venue like Tulsa does, and I think that Farmer's Market would draw a good crowd with the right bands

Cain's has the history and some nice redneck charm, but I actually think think the Farmer's Market ballroom has a much more interesting aesthetic and the balcony could be put to really good use for shows. With the ceiling height, you could actually extend the balcony around the sides, though that may block the windows. I like Cain's a lot, but it is interesting how much its history helps it. On a national level it's really just an average venue. I actually think the Diamond Ballroom is comparable in terms of aesthetic and sound, at least the last couple of times I went. They're both rugged with a touch of trash to them. The big difference is that the Diamond is THE worst run venue I have ever been to and Cain's knows how to put on a show, even if they don't know how to run a bar.

In the end, promotion is the key. That room could be every bit as successful as Cain's with the right promoter.

[Pete]

Why isn't the Bricktown Events Center more heavily used?

Fantastic space with plenty of room and a great location.

[jedicurt]

Why isn't the Bricktown Events Center more heavily used?

Fantastic space with plenty of room and a great location.

last time i knew of a group trying to put an event together, they looked at the bricktown events center and said that the price was ridiculously high... that you could book a much larger space at the fair grounds (where they ended up going) for less money.

now i don't know who much they were charging... this is just what i heard

[Pete]

I booked it several years ago for a class reunion and it wasn't cheap, but not outrageous either.

I know they have had concerts in the past but haven't heard of any in a while.

[HangryHippo]

Honestly, for events we've tried to book, the Bricktown Events Center just isn't that wonderful of a space.

[Pete]

Honestly, for events we've tried to book, the Bricktown Events Center just isn't that wonderful of a space.

What sort of events?

And what don't you like about the space?

[okcboy]

http://newspin360.com/tour/ok/okc/cocacolaeventcenter/

[HangryHippo]

Several parties and holiday celebrations for our staff, a couple of product unveilings, and a benefit concert.

To be fair, I think the space has some good bare bones to work with (lots of room to work with, location), but the ambience was lacking in what we wanted and the costs didn't work for what we wanted. Also, they had a fairly extensive list of "don'ts" that were difficult to work with.

It's odd because I think the building actually has a lot of potential to be vastly more successful than it currently seems to be.

[Pete]

Yes, the Bricktown space requires a decent amount of work to make it look nice, as it's pretty raw. But that's good for concerts (what we are primarily talking about here) and for elaborate events where you want to put together a unique visual experience.

It is expensive for events by the time you add everything in, but one huge benefits is they don't have their own catering and thus you can work a completely separate outside deal for food, which is where so many venues gouge you.


But, it sure doesn't seem to get used much so they are either not doing a good job promoting it or their prices and policies are not competitive.

[okcboy]

Pete is right on. It stays fairly busy. The prices I think are lower that any other like facility in town when you get to the bottom line. It also has fairly loose restrictions as well until there is a request that might damage the facility or require any labor expenses that aren't covered up front. At the end of the day event facilities of this nature cannot pay the bills on just a rental fee alone. They also really only have 104 prime dates available to work with as well. Weekend dates.