Culinaria - 15 Year Anniversary
Happy anniversary to Culinaria! 🥂 Six years ago, we covered this small local restaurant for our video series, No Free Lunches. Fast forward to today, they're celebrating 15 years in business.
In this episode, Regan Lehman Pillar shares how her and her husband Aaron grew Culinaria from a catering company to the recently remodeled brick-and-mortar where it’s housed in East Lawrence today. Their secret ingredient? Taking care of their people.
Parking Amnesty Program
This September, the City of Lawrence Parking Department is activating its Parking Amnesty Program. It will provide a 50% discount on unpaid parking tickets from the downtown area, then half of those funds will be donated to 10 local non-profits. 🚗💸
In this episode of The 785, you’ll hear parking leaders speak on how this program is just one component of their work to make parking downtown easier, safer, and more community-focused. Fun fact: The New Hampshire St. Parking Garage now features new lights, signage, and hand-painted city colors on each level!
City of Lawrence, Kansas - Municipal Government
Espurresso Cat Cafe
Espurresso Cat Cafe's 1-year anniversary is coming up on July 29! Watch this episode to hear owners Brittanie Sinisgalli and Mary Costello reflect on their journey, which includes…
🐈 Fulfilling 170+ cat adoptions in partnership with the Lawrence Humane Society
☕️ Supporting local coffee suppliers with a creative, cat-themed menu
🍪 Making artisan baked goods fresh every morning
🍵 Partnering with other local businesses, including their collab with Brits for a custom catnip tea that both humans and cats can enjoy!
📃 Obtaining a Small Animal Shelter License from the state, which makes adoptions easier for both cats and people
Summer Book Sale
The Lawrence Public Library is hosting its Summer Book Sale this weekend! 📚 Everything is priced at $2 or less, and the collection is huge: 64,000+ high-quality books, CDs, DVDs, audiobooks, games, and more. All proceeds support the programs and services of Lawrence Public Library.
This episode shows what attendees have in their haul and what they’re reading this summer. The last day of the Summer Book Sale is being held tomorrow, Sunday July 14 from 12-4pm!
Foster Village Lawrence
Foster Village Lawrence is a nonprofit that supports foster families with childcare, clothing, mentorship, and more. Throughout the month of July, its “Growing the Village is Sweet” fundraiser invites local families and businesses to host lemonade stands to raise $15,000 for local kids in crisis. 🍋
This episode features the kick-off event, where families braved the rain to get their lemonade stand supplies and explore the nonprofit’s resource closet. Between welcoming guests, co-founder Jenny Lichte talked to us about the importance of supporting foster families — half of whom stop fostering after their first placement, citing lack of support and burnout.
Gaia Sushi
Chef Ket Kiun Lo has always dreamed of opening his own sushi restaurant, and now it’s here ... located at 9th & Mass! Co-owned with his wife Breanna Wuerzberger, Gaia Sushi Lawrence offers a unique concept with non-traditional plates (sushi tacos, anyone? 🍣🌮) and an all-you-can-eat option, where diners can sample different varieties of rolls as smaller “flight” versions.
Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Ket Kiun is drawing on his passion for fresh ingredients, which shines through in his entirely house-made sauces and the fresh fish he imports from countries like Japan and Norway. All the while, he’s filling a need for a reliable sushi spot in the downtown restaurant scene.
Watch this episode for an inside look at Gaia Sushi. What will YOU order?
Just Food - Night in the Bayou
Meet Just Food’s brand-new theme for its annual gala: Night in the Bayou. 🐊 On Thurs June 20, the Oread Hotel rooftop will be filled with tarot and palm reading stations, live auctions, and a New Orleans-inspired brass band … all to support Just Food’s biggest night of fundraising. In this episode, hear how much of an impact Night in the Bayou will make to help Just Food alleviate the increasing food insecurity across Douglas County.
Pride Block Party
Lawrence PRIDE 2024 is TODAY! South Park is packed full of family-friendly activities, good vibes, and friendly faces until 9 p.m. tonight. Watch this episode to see how the community is kicking off Pride Month and celebrating the LGBTQ+ community with this legendary block party.
Lawrence PRIDE Explore Lawrence City of Fountains Sisters
Feast
This Final Friday, come check out FEAST: an art showing, group dinner, and appetizer for all your senses. The group exhibition includes work from local, regional, and international artists, accompanied by a weekend dining experience that features catering by Merchants Pub & Plate and performances by Jeff Stolz and Altoscliff. Both events are hosted by Off-Site Art Space, a gallery run by KU's Visual Art Department out of the old Jungle House location at 924 Delaware St. The event is a collaboration between local artist Alicia Kelly and Off-Site gallery director Allie Fischer.
The exhibition will run through June 21, but its opening reception is only on Fri May 31 from 5-9pm. Purchase tickets for the dining experience, hosted on Fri June 7 and Sat June 8 from 6-9:30pm, on the Merchants website.
The Burning Barrel
When you’re seated on The Burning Barrel porch, overlooking 30 acres of Kansas prairie, you may realize it’s more than a farm, restaurant, and events space: it’s a celebration of our relationships with nature and each other.
We covered Burning Barrel’s opening season 2 years ago with our first episode of Lawrence Times TV, and now we’re coming full-circle to showcase their exciting new features: a glassed-in dining porch, new fire kitchen, distiller’s license, a full slate of summer event programming, and new hoop house for growing vegetables.
The Cloud Room
Join us as we enter The Cloud Room, the newest offering from Mud & Lotus: Outdoor Soaking Tub and Sauna Mud & Lotus: Outdoor Soaking Tub and Sauna ☁️ Three sensory stations — a jade acupressure massage, aromatherapy salt chamber, and sound bath lounge chair — build a holistic health experience. This harmonizes the three elements of your body recognized by traditional Chinese medicine: jing (essence), qi (vital energy), and shen (spirit).
You’ll hear from Shahida Spann-Ryan about the benefits of these treatments and why she’s passionate about bringing wellness-focused experiences to the Lawrence community. 🧘🏽♀️
KU Beekeeping Club
Did you know KU has a Beekeeping Club? 🐝 They’re giving students a hands-on experience and educating the community about these important creatures. Bees pollinate more than 1/3 of all our food crops, but their populations are dramatically declining due to climate change. That’s why these students spend every Sunday checking on their hive, which in turn promotes biodiversity, produces honey for them to jar and sell, and even builds friendships along the way.
The Whips Talk Hawstock
The Whips, a Lawrence-based funk band, has skyrocketed to TikTok fame. After getting 3.5 million views on their Fortnite cover — the first video in their “Makin’ It Funky” series — they’ve grown into a national touring band. But this week, The Whips are honoring their Lawrence roots by throwing Hawkstock, an all-ages mini music festival at The Granada on May 2, to celebrate Stop Day Eve. They’re joining student bands City Hall and Lavender Bride, as well as Wichita-based Rudy Love and the Encore, to groove their way into the hearts of Jayhawks and beyond. Watch this episode to hear from Max Indiveri, guitarist/vocalist, about The Whips’ journey. Footage courtesy of Anthony Mixon, Thomas Rex, and Funkhouse Productions.
KU FNSA Powwow and Indigenous Cultures Festival
Don’t miss the KU First Nation Student Association’s Powwow and Indigenous Cultures Festival, being held at the Lied Center today until 8pm! 🪶🧡 The family-friendly event features Native artists and food vendors, educational sessions, hands-on workshops, and children's activities. And don’t forget your lawn chair to enjoy the powwow, which celebrates diverse Native cultures through traditional dances, regalia, and singing!
Wild Ivy Herb Farm
Since 2003, Lori Trojan has grown Wild Ivy Herb Farm into more than a business: it’s a way to support other farmers and the local community. At the 3-acre farm in south Lawrence, Trojan uses sustainable permaculture practices to cultivate about 75 varieties of culinary, medical, and native herbs.
Beyond her line of products, Trojan also offers interactive group workshops. With a full schedule in the months ahead — including the Mushroom Log and Outdoor Bed Inoculation 101 session this Sunday, feat. Jacob Chapman of Moose Paw Farm — Trojan is celebrating her latest milestone: building a new outdoor hoop house just for workshops.
Watch this episode for an inside look at the new workshop space and to learn more about Wild Ivy Herb Farm.
The 37th Annual Lawrence St. Patrick's Day
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 🍀🇮🇪 The 37th annual Lawrence parade drew a crowd of thousands along its route, from 11th & Massachusetts St. to north of the river across Locust St., in a sea of green. Watch this episode to see some of the best outfits, tailgating set-ups, and floats from the parade.
And to learn more about the parade committee’s incredible work for local children’s charities, visit www.the785.tv!
The Lawrence St. Patrick's Day Parade
The Queer Bowling Social: Presented By Lawrence Pride
Lawrence PRIDE hosted its first Queer Bowling Social today! This family-friendly, all-ages event will happen on the second Sunday of every month at Royal Crest Lanes. Watch this episode for an inside look at the inaugural bowling social, and hear from PRIDE organizers about what else is coming up this year.
Bag Bash
Lawrence is now a plastic bag-free city! Thanks to Ordinance 9996, businesses can no longer provide disposable, single-use plastic bags at point of sale, as of March 1. 🌎
The City of Lawrence, Kansas - Municipal Government welcomed the new local law by hosting a Bag Bash at the Lawrence Public Library today. Residents could decorate reusable tote bags from scratch, donate their gently used ones, and interact with local non-profits.
Get an inside look at the event — and tips for switching to reusable bags — in this episode. Visit our website at the785.tv to learn more.
Jalu Bathhouse
Jalu Bathhouse is bringing the healing traditions of the Himalayas to the Kansas prairie. 🧘🏽♀️ Co-owners Leigh Khandro and Yondenzong Akyung are blending their American and Tibetan heritage to promote wellness for the body AND the planet.
The bathhouse, located in north Lawrence, offers five experiences that honor the Five Elements of traditional Tibetan medicine, including a cedar hot tub and Himalayan salt cave. And as they work with neighbors to protect the surrounding prairie, they also donate 1% of their profits to the Nyenpo Yurtse Environmental Protection Association, where their relatives in the Golok region of Tibet preserve natural resources and wildlife.
Join us on a journey through the hand-built sanctuary in this episode. To learn more about Jalu Bathhouse, visit our website at the785.tv.
