Rally in Alley ushers in weekends

FINDLAY — Joyful community can be found on Friday evenings in a bricked courtyard between downtown buildings nestling the play of live music, airy magnolias, stout mugo pine, flowers, beverages and snacks. Rally in the Alley is in its 32nd season of welcoming people into summer weekends. Each Friday, a different band plays from 5 to 8 p.m. in Latham Courtyard, between the Chase Bank/Eastman & Smith law building and Hancock County offices in the 500 block of South Main Street. "It's a great atmosphere," said one Rally regular. "I like it because it's summer, get to hang with friends." Another one minced no words about why she has been a Rally regular for years. "Sunshine, cold beer and music," the Findlay resident said. Each Friday, a different local eatery showcases its fare. This Friday, Logan's Irish Pub will provide snacks while GSJ supplies the tunes. So, rally-ers , seated at round tables, fill their senses with food, beverages, music and the company of hostas, yellow daisies, salvia purple and spiring, assorted reds, pinks and whites of impatiens, geraniums and petunias. Ivy climbs a wall on one side. Nestled in a nearby nook slightly below, a water garden beckons souls still further away from the workaday world. Rivulets of water descend over and between stones to a pond where lily pads float placidly, all of it canopied in the gentle shade of a Japanese maple. Rally has evolved into a popular spot for after-work parties, those just wanting to hang out, even class reunions. It is sponsored by Findlay-Hancock County Chamber of Commerce and local businesses. The lineup of bands and snack providers for the rest of the summer is: • June 20: Tongue 'N' Groove, The Fern; • June 27: Hipnotix, Hancock Hotel; • July 11: Spoiled Rotten, Heavenly Pizza; • July 18: Reunion Band, Main Street Deli & Arcade; • July 25: Tongue 'N' Groove, Sodexo.