A Conway Christmas Open House

 

How about going shopping this weekend? It’s a great time to get started on shopping for the holidays. One central Arkansas community has activities going on so you can get a head-start on your Christmas buying while enjoying an absolutely beautiful fall afternoon in The Natural State.

Make plans to head to Conway Sunday afternoon for the annual Downtown Conway Open House. All shops in the downtown district will be open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and, just in time for the event, an old shop that formerly specialized in vintage clothing, has reopened with a new focus.  Vintage to Vogue now features old-fashioned candies and gifts as well as handcrafted jewelry, and Arkansas Products. The shop is located at 829 Chestnut.

Celebrating October Feast at Whitton Farms

Kimberly J. Williams
DeltaTraveler@gmail.com

At Whitton Farms, located five miles northeast of Tyronza, they have a motto. “If you know your farmer, you know your food!” They are committed to growing high quality, locally grown food and flowers, including heirloom vegetables, flowers, herbs and native plants.

 

This Sunday, Whitton Farms will host Octoberfeast, a celebration of the Delta’s finest locally grown food, along with music and art, from 2-7 p.m. More than a dozen chefs will be on had to serve their culinary creations. Also on tap are hayrides, tours of the farm, pick your own pumpkin patch and a pumpkin carving contest. The event is $30 for adults and $10 for children 10 and under (no admission charge for babies).

To find out more about Octoberfeast or Whitton Farms, check out their Web site at www.WhittonFarms.com or phone 870-815-9519.

Visit Elm Springs This Weekend

Small-town Americana at its finest -- that’s what you’ll find in Elm Springs this weekend during the 3rd annual Yester Daze Festival. The event will take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the city park, on downtown Water Street, at the United Methodist Church and at Curran Feed Store.

I’m always up for a pancake breakfast, and that’s just how festivities will begin. You’ll find the flapjacks at City Hall. There will be exhibits of antique and classic cars, motorcycles and tractors. A disc jockey will play rock and roll music throughout the event. The Brush Creek Singers and Siloam Springs Dance Team will perform. Or you can get in the action yourself in the jitterbug contest, street dance and cake walk. The retail shops on Water Street will hold a sidewalk sale, and will stay open until 5 p.m.

Kids activities include games, pony rides, fire and police vehicle tours, dog walk, cutest pet contest, and dog show. There will also be a story teller in the park. Whether a vendor or festival-goers, the event planners encourage everyone to dress in 50s attire. The theme of this year’s festival is, after all, “Rewind to the 50s.”

In case of rain, the vendors will move inside City Hall, and the children's activities will move under the park pavilion.

For a complete schedule of events, vendor information, or other information, you can call 479-696-8115 or go online to www.downtownelmsprings.com.

Culinary Cook-Off for a Worthy Cause

Kerry Kraus

If Iron Chef, Chopped or Top Chef are on your "must see TV list," then you won’t want to miss the Celebrity Chef Cook-off Thursday, October 8, at Pulaski Technical College in North Little Rock. Some of Arkansas’s most noted chefs will compete in the challenge. Recipes prepared are ones submitted to AY Magazine’s 2009 Reader Recipe Contest.

Judges are Mark Abernathy of Loca Luna, Faith Anaya of KidsCook Arkansas, Peter Brave of Brave New Restaurant, Todd Gold of Purple Cow and Mary Twedt of KUAR’s “Arkansas Cooks” program. Tickets are $50 per person and proceeds support the Arkansas Culinary School at Pulaski Tech. The AY Magazine Web site -- aymag.com/go/cookoff -- has more details or you can call 501-244-9700.

The 6:30 p.m. event is at the Campus Center Grand Hall, 3000 West Scenic Drive.

Bring Your Appetite to Fall Foodie Fest

If the opportunity to sample creations by some of Arkansas’s favorite restaurants, then grab a red pen and circle October 17. That’s the date for the 2nd annual Argenta Fall Foodie Festival. It which will be held along Main Street between 6th and 7th Streets in downtown North Little Rock, next to the Argenta Farmers Market. Some of the who’s who of restaurants that will be on hand include the Argenta Market, Starving Artist Café, Ashley’s Restaurant at The Capital Hotel, Simply the Best Catering, Cheers in the Heights, Lilly’s Dim Sum, Best Impressions and The House.

Chefs from restaurants and catering companies will create their own specialties using locally grown produce and meats. In addition to grazing to your heart’s content, you can also partake of live music, shop arts and crafts vendors, plus select some great homegrown produce.

Joining forces with the Foodie Fest this year is the 2nd annual Virginia Clinton Kelley Festival for the Cure. Deck out in your favorite pink outfit, bring an appetite and some join the festivities. Hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. John McClure can provide more information at jmcclure@arconventionsandevents.com.

46th annual Weinfest

I’ve been to Wiederkehr many times to eat, to try wines, and to tour the cellars. But I’ve yet to make it there during the annual Weinfest. Celebrating 46 years, the festival will take place this weekend on Saturday, Sept. 26. Once again, I have a conflict and can’t be there. But I wanted to share the information so others don’t miss it.

Weinfest begins early with tours of the historic cellars at 8:30 a.m. Other activities throughout the day include the ever-popular grape stomp; the Stein Stemmen (throwing large rocks similar to a shot-put); Baum Stossen (log toss ); Wine Barrel Rolling Contest; Alpine Horn Blowing Contest, and more. You can enter the games or just watch.

The tasting room is always a popular place where visitors may sample award-winning Wiederkehr wines at no charge. There is plenty of food, of course - sausage, knackwurst, bratwurst, and hot apple strudel, just to mention a few. Buy tickets in advance or the day of the festival for the Festival Dinner in the Weingarten.

Show bands provide continuous entertainment throughout the day, and free polka lessons are available. A free, open tram takes festival-goers on a tour of the vineyards, and horse-drawn carriage rides go by the vineyards and round the 34-acre Alpine Lake. Vendors sell arts and crafts. St. Mary’s Church opens for visitors to tour. Built entirely by immigrants who volunteered their labor, the historic church is decorated with murals for which the area's early residents posed as models.

Along with these special events are the appealing characteristics of Weiderkehr’s that keep visitors coming back all year long. On the National Register of Historic Places, the Weinkeller Restaurant serves Old World cuisine and is located in the winery’s original hand-dug cellar. It was voted “Most Romantic” and “Best Ethnic” restaurant numerous times in the Arkansas Times' People's Choice Awards.

The Wiederkehr family is celebrating 129 years of history in the Arkansas River Valley.

Wiederkehr Village is located at exit 41 off Interstate 40. Follow the signs to the grounds of Wiederkehr Wine Cellars. Visit www.wiederkehrwines.com or call 1-800-622-WINE for festival details. Admission to the grounds is free. Festival-goers can also c heck out Wiederkehr's new Wine Country Tourist Center at exit 41 on I-40, which houses Wiederkehr Village Wine and Spirits, and the Swiss Family Bistro. The latter offers family-style meals, a gift shop, and wine tasting room. All are open seven days a week.