Like many in our industry, we once relied heavily on classified advertising revenue, a steady stream of income that dried up once Craigslist started offering free ads. Facebook’s Marketplace then jumped into the fray with added features, leaving Craigslist in the dust. We decided years ago that we can’t win in trying to sell something that our competitors are doing for free, so we brainstormed on how we could make up that lost revenue and decided to create and host events.
It started for us with CITYVIEW’s Brewfest, a popular beer sampling event that ran its course over six years. During that time, we also launched Martini Fest, which transformed into a number of related events and is now our Wine and Whiskey Walk. Our Fine Spirits Festival became even better after rebranding it into a traveling cocktail party called Summer Stir. We also continue to host several other events such as 20 from 2020, Des Moines’ Most Likeable People, and our unmatched Best Of Des Moines event.
We decided to expand our Summer Stir event this year. The first will be held Friday, July 23 from 5-9 p.m. at seven participating eating and drinking establishments in the East Village. The Summer Stir events are not crazy parties for the youngsters but instead are unique sampling events for people of all ages (21 and older) where attendees can casually stroll from location to location and try each venue’s signature summer drink in a relaxing and casual setting.
Sound like fun? Then join us on Friday, July 23 in the East Village. Order your tickets now at summerstirs.com and look to the pages of CITYVIEW this month for full details — just not in the classifieds.
Have a magnificent Monday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com | 
