🙌 Hello there Friday!

🌧️ Today's weather: Chance of showers then mostly sunny, with a high of 92.

Today's newsletter is 984 words, a 3.5-minute read.

The Von Braun Center is moving ahead with a $200 million expansion, and it offered the media an early look at what it's got planned.

Why it matters: Demand for events at Huntsville's downtown civic center is higher than ever, highlighted by the recent full-capacity Space and Missile Defense Symposium.

By the numbers: SMD this year brought approximately 320 exhibiting companies and 10,000 attendees to the VBC Aug. 11-13, the VBC says in a release.

• That marks the event as the largest in SMD history, with an economic impact of more than $6.9 million.

Yes, but: More than 250 companies hoping for space at the event were left on this year's waiting list, the VBC says, and 97 companies are already on the waiting list for 2027, which has already sold out of exhibit space.

Zoom in: Work is set to begin in November, per the release, with additional details and project information to be announced closer to that time.

What they're saying: "We have organizations that want to bring more people, more exhibitors and more business to Huntsville, and in some cases we're simply running out of room," Steve Maples, VBC executive director, said in the release.

Catch up quick: Huntsville's recently enacted Tax Increment Financing District, TIF 9, is how the city plans to finance the $200 million project along with other area infrastructure improvements.

• It also coincides with the city's plans to turn a stretch of Pinhook Creek running alongside the VBC into a linear park and greenway as part of its ambitious PARC project.

The bottom line: Jennifer Moore, president and CEO of the Huntsville/Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau, noted that events like SMD bring visitors who stay in local hotels, eat in local restaurants and visit local attractions.

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The Rocket City Trash Pandas are throwing it back to the days of the Huntsville Stars tonight, and honoring a longtime Stars fan, "Microwave Dave" Gallaher.

Why it matters: With only a few Trash Pandas games left this season, tonight is a chance to honor a local legend, support music education and snag a top-tier Huntsville T-shirt.

The latest: The Trash Pandas take on the Biloxi Shuckers at 6:35pm, and fans can purchase a T-shirt which emulates Microwave Dave's trademark overalls alongside their ticket.

• T-shirt sales benefit the Microwave Dave Music Foundation, and the design is an homage to his trademark style of overalls with a white T-shirt, Renae Washburn, with the Trash Pandas, told Axios.
• The shirt also features pins on the overalls with "Beep beep," "Microwave Dave," and the Stars and Trash Pandas logos, she said.

What they're saying: It was the perfect opportunity to honor Gallaher, who was an avid fan of, and involved with, the Stars, said Washburn, manager of promotions and community relations for the Trash Pandas.

Zoom out: Microwave Dave died earlier this year, leading to a number of tributes like the renaming of a stretch of Cleveland Avenue and the Downtown Dog Spot in his honor.

• A ceremonial first pitch will be thrown tonight by James Irvin, drummer of Microwave Dave and the Nukes, and the newest recipient of the Danny Hall Memorial Music Scholarship will be recognized.

How it works: There are 175 T-shirts available through a ticket package where you can put in your shirt size, too, and if any are leftover, they'll be available for purchase at the game, Washburn said.

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Restaurant Week wraps up Monday.

Why it matters: If you don't make it out this weekend, you'll have to wait another year for a chance at special menu items around town.

Catch up quick: Restaurant Week is the centerpiece of Huntsville Culinary Month, which is working to highlight Huntsville's diverse and ever-growing food scene.

• Check in via the Rocket City Dish Pass for chances to win prize packages valued $900-$1,600.

What they're saying: Brent Boyd, Huntsville/Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau communications manager, told Axios that as of Thursday, 3,549 pass sign-ups have resulted in 712 check-ins.

• That's higher than last year, Boyd said, but they're hoping to see more, as there are also rewards for the restaurant that garners the most check-ins, and for the one where the winning check-in was made.
• Winners are announced in September, and you can check in all month.

The latest: After perusing the offerings, I notched a couple more check-ins Thursday, swinging by Ale's Kitchen at Straight to Ale and Pizzelle's Confections for dessert.

Zoom in: I love a good burger, and the Esquite Burger is Ale's Kitchen's lunch offering for Restaurant Week, an updated offering from the 2024 version.

• It pulls their Esquite side, essentially Mexican street corn, and puts in on the burger alongside pickled onions.
• Their Restaurant Week beer offering is a crisp apricot-infused take on Straight to Ale's Block Party Blonde.

What they're saying: Bartender Christer Dreisbach told me that so far this week, the beer is selling better than the burger, but after trying both, my recommendation is: have both.

Driving the news: Next stop: Pizzelle's Confections, where general manager Jennifer Sherman said Restaurant Week is always a big deal.

Case in point: This year they brought back a crowd favorite, the cannoli, which Pizzelle's only offers during Restaurant Week, and which I ordered with the pistachio orange filling.

• Also on offer at Pizzelle's are a warm cookie sundae and The Large Marge, which is drinking chocolate over ice cream, with marshmallows, whipped cream, chocolate or caramel sauce with sprinkles and a cherry.

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📺 Derek wants to bring back those VH1 and MTV music video morning shows. Maybe that would help his daughter get going in the morning!

Thanks to Crystal Hill for editing this newsletter.