Friday 5

5 tips to RULE THE FESTIVALS

This week's Top 5 is my guide to making the most of the Piccolo/Spoleto USA festivals. But there are other tips as well, many of which I gleaned during my successful attempt to set a world record for Most Spoleto/Piccolo Events Attended in a Single Day (13) in 2005.

Piccolo visual arts exhibits are an under-appreciated part of the festival. Visual arts have basically disappeared from Spoleto, leaving the field to the "small" festival, and much of what gets mounted is really a treat. The juried shows at the Visitor's Center and the art village on Marion Square are often a mixed bag, but I've had good luck at The City Gallery at Waterfront Park and in other, out-of-the-way venues like the Footlights lobby on Queen Street.

Piccolo's theater offerings are relatively affordable and -- if you pick the right ones -- can be the arts bargain of the festival. They're not typically first-run premieres, but many of them are New to Us.

Get a base of operations. Yes, you'll want to have some special meals and evenings out, but if you're downtown for the 1 p.m. Chamber Music and planning to catch something later in the afternoon, you'll need a place where you can relax, get some nosh, and rehydrate.

Juanita Greenberg's Nacho Royale  on Upper King Street (get the quesadillas) has a shady deck out back that's one of the city's best-kept secrets, and everything is affordable; Kudu Coffee on Vanderhorst has an outdoor courtyard, superior coffee and interesting stuff in the pastry case (try the house-blend brewed or iced, or a Cuban-style African espresso); Joseph's next to the Gibbes on Meeting Street is a jumpin' joint for lunch and breakfast (fried green tomatoes are a must); and Saffron's on East Bay makes a good place if you're attending something at the Gaillard; East Bay Deli is a favorite, and occasionally has nearby parking, but crossing East Bay on foot is something of an adventure.

G&M Fast and French on Broad Street is a bit out of the way now that the Dock Street is out of commission, but it wouldn't be the festival without a trip to G&M; and Jack's Cafe across from the Sottile on George Street is a locally owned institution that deserves everyone's patronage and support (it's not open on the weekends and closes at 3:30) when you're attending an early event near C of C.

Don't ignore the talks. They're often free, and they're informative and interesting. If a show has any controversy associated with it, the talks can be more fun than some of the performances.

Seriously, ride a bike if you can. I know I talked about this in the Top 5, but the difference between riding to performances and trying to get around via the awkward combination of car, parking garage, and long  walks  is significant.

Bring your own shade to the opening ceremonies: If it's hot -- and it usually is -- even a good seat up front can be unpleasant. There's nothing wrong with a shady umbrella... just so long as you take it down once the ceremonies begin. And remember: Just because you're sitting in the shade at the beginning doesn't mean you'll have shade by the end.

Do the jazz. Just do it. And don't count on being able to set-up on George Street and let the music spill over on you anymore: Apparently the officials are starting to harass the free music seekers...

Buy the obvious stuff early. I'll be shocked if Monkey: Journey to the West; Laurie Anderson's Homeland and the big symphony concerts don't sell out early. So don't wait. Buy.

Latch on to SpoletoToday. We're making a big effort this year to connect festival-goers to social opportunities and meet-ups. Want to meet new people and talk festival stuff? Bookmark SpoletoToday and sign up for live festival reports and comments on your cell phone via Twitter. It's buzz central.

Figure out the finales. The Piccolo Finale is like a big neighborhood block party with food vendors and hours of live music and lots of people coming and going. The Spoleto Finale is a bring-your-own fancy picnic before an evening symphony orchestra concert. Plan accordingly.

F5's download & D.I.Y. Mother's Day card kit

Need a Mother's Day card in a hurry? We're here to help.

These cards were written by F5 guy Dan Conover and designed by F5 page designer Rodolfo Larios. Simply pick the card you like, double-click on it to open it full-size, and then select "Save Image As" to download it to your computer. Print them out, fold them and personalize them for your Mom.

The F5 Signature Squirrel: Rodolfo's squirrel pages get lots of attention, so he just had to add this one to the list.

F5 TV: Changing Charleston... & North Charleston

Friday 5: Changing Charleston from Dan Conover on Vimeo.

In this week's second episode on the Friday 5 Channel on Vimeo, here's a piece about how rising property values along Upper King Street may be contributing to a migration of artists, entrepreneurs and creative types to the southern edge of North Charleston.

F5 TV: Fix-a-flat!

F5 HOW-TO: Patch that bike flat! from Dan Conover on Vimeo.

In the first of two additions this week to the Friday 5 Channel on Vimeo, I provide a How-To guide to fixing a flat bicycle tire. I know a little bit about this procedure, too: Until I upgraded to Armadillo tires on the Trek SU-100 that I ride to work, I was fixing two flats a month on average. That's because I live in the North Central neighborhood, and for whatever reason the city seldom gets around to cleaning Upper-Upper King Street.

I don't give a demonstration of how to remove the rear wheel, partly because there are so many ways that chains and shifters can be set up, but also because it's just kind of annoying compared to removing the front wheel.

And yes, if you're in a big hurry you can strip the tire off the rim, remove the tube, patch the puncture, re-inflate and go -- all without taking the wheel off. But that' kinda like showing off for most of us.

I know this is kind of basic for some people, but here's the truth: I was in my 40s before I fixed my first flat, and people pay good money every day to have a bike mechanic fix their flats. You can do this.