River Road Coffeehouse is introducing Stacey’s Space at River Road at its original Granville location starting February 15.  Located in the Shops at Seven Pines on River Road adjacent to State Route 16, the “Fireplace Room” at the coffeehouse has long been used to feature the pottery of Heidi and Andy Casto,  graduates of Ohio State and University of Iowa arts programs.  With the Casto couple moving on to more decorative sculpture, Coffeehouse Managing Partner David Forman asked sister Stacey Forman to consider managing the shelf space on behalf of local artisans.

Stacey’s Space will feature selected displays of unique hand-crafted items for sale and not generally available in other retail locations.   According to Stacey Forman, “The River Road Coffeehouse has long been a supporter of local artists and has displayed a variety of artwork on its walls.  This is a way for us to branch out and feature items that are functional as well as unique and beautiful.”  Forman hopes to incorporate items such as fiber wares, jewelry and home décor in with a small continuing display of  Red Bridge Pottery as well as paper-back books brought to press by  independent publisher  Two Dollar Radio.

The local coffeehouse enjoys a significant amount of foot-traffic from locals as well as village visitors and David Forman notes that  “the cozy and intimate atmosphere of the 1860’s farm house is an excellent  environment for displaying and viewing artisan items.”

If you are a local artisan and are interested in displaying and selling your handmade goods at Stacey’s Space at River Road, please contact Stacey Forman at staceyforman@yahoo.com or at (614) 406-0668.

River Road Coffeehouse on 21st Street in Newark will host Fred McKinney on Wednesday, March 24 from 7 to 8:30 PM.

Singer-songwriter Fred McKinney has been singing and playing for over forty years, but only in the past several years has begun writing songs and performing “out,” with all original folk/country material. Living in the Ashland, OH, area, he has performed in coffee houses and libraries, at private parties, and for various groups and organizations. Additionally he was part of the Rootstock 2009 Concert at Cain Park in Cleveland and appeared on the radio program Just Plain Folk on 913 The Summit from Akron. He will charm you with songs of love and loss, make you cry, or maybe laugh out loud.

“Fans of the Fray and Coldplay will enjoy this promising singer-songwriter who can convey honest emotion without dragging you down.”
-CDBaby.com

River Road Coffeehouse on 21st Street in Newark will host Kevin Dean Friday, January 29 from 7 to 8:30 PM.

Whether he’s exciting current fans with new material or silencing a noisy venue full of strangers, it is safe to say that singer-songwriter Kevin Dean makes an impact on every listener that he encounters. Trained in classical music from a young age, Kevin has spent the last few years applying his formal training to his passion for popular music at both Ohio State University and Berklee College of Music. The resulting sound has already caught the attention of listeners in cities such as Los  Angeles, Boston and Nashville, as well as his hometown of Columbus.

His catchy melodies and recognizable voice are a perfect compliment to his pop-folk songwriting.

Check out his music at  www.kevinDdean.com

Special Student Happy Hours

to Benefit NHS Music Programs…

River Road Coffeehouse on 21st Street in Newark will host special 3 to 6 pm “Student Happy Hours” the week of October 5 thru 11 (Monday thru Sunday) to help raise funds for the Newark High School music programs. Here’s the fine print…

$2.00 Lattes:  Hot, Frozen or Over Ice

Yep…all students and former students (hey…let’s not leave teachers and parents out!) are eligible to stop by from 3-6 pm and enjoy any of our great medium size lattes (hot, frozen or over ice) for just $2. All of our combo flavor lattes are included…oh yes…the River Road Mocha!!!!

And??? What about the Music Programs?

Each student/former student will be given a special notecard to designate a $1 contribution from the coffeehouse to one of the three music programs (Choir, Band and Orchestra) The customer will also be given the option to “name” a student on the card who encouraged their participation. (Of course, we will also accept extra contributions for the music programs!)  At the end of the week, we will tally the cards and make a contribution to each of the three music programs AND give a $25 Gift Card to the student most frequently listed on the notecards!

River Road Coffeehouse on 21st Street in Newark will host Age Old Stationery Monday, July 27 from 7 to 8:30 PM.

2009 rolls around and finds Age Old Stationery embracing a more edgy sound and approach to music. With slow, bluesy, piano driven melodies and a fresh modern edge that draws from many diverse influences they seem more confident with their own original sound.

Kassi Brown and Ellen Coplin have been performing together since late 2006 and are presently on a tour of coffeehouses throughout Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. “We want to present music that is not your stereotypical Christian music. We want to give people music that is well written and performed: music that is appealing to listen to and well done. At the same time that is not the end goal by any means. We want our music to reach into the hearts of our listeners.”

Check out their music at  www.myspace.com/ageoldstationery