GENTRY -- Though a beautiful day to be out, attendance was down at this year's fall festival, sponsored by the Gentry Chamber of Commerce and Gentry United Way, with only several scores of visitors at the annual event.
Mark Shields, of Gentry, along with band members Bob Thomas, Butch Myrick and Brian Hauck, provided afternoon music but there were only a few seated in chairs listening.
Children played on the inflatable rides and enjoyed train rides provided by the Tired Iron of the Ozarks. Carriage rides were available from Executive Carriages, with Lori Whillock and Jessica Ray giving rides on a full-sized carriage behind a draft horse and a miniature carriage behind a miniature horse.
A number of vendor booths were open in the park, and children took advantage of the opportunity to paint pumpkins.
A hand full of cars were at the annual car show, but many more cars cruised down Main Street later in the day for a cruise night.
The festival kicked off the 2016 Gentry United Way fundraising campaign and was to make people aware of the work the Gentry United Way does for the city and community. The nonprofit group has been active in Gentry for more than 25 years and has raised more than $1 million dollars for Gentry's local civic groups, school organizations, scholarship funds, youth sports and more.
Gentry United Way is not a part of the larger United Way organizations of Northwest Arkansas and works to keep local contributions working right at home in Gentry. Donated funds go to local organizations like the Gentry High School scholarship fund, Gentry Youth Organization and its many sporting programs, Gentry School District booster clubs, Main Street Gentry and other local nonprofit organizations that benefit Gentry-area residents. In all, the Gentry Unite Way funds about 25 local organizations. Two recent projects the Gentry United Way has supported financially are the new restrooms in the Gentry City Park and the walking trails project.
Contributions, which are tax-deductible, may be sent to the Gentry United Way in care of the Gentry Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 642, Gentry, AR 72734.
General News on 10/14/2015