GENTRY -- Pickin' Time on 59 is set to begin next week, Thursday, Oct. 8, and run through Saturday, Oct. 10, with yard and garage sales planned along Arkansas Highway 59 from Siloam Springs to the Missouri border.
Many cities along the route are waiving usual yard and garage sale permit fees to encourage residents to take part in the annual event. Local residents are being asked to participate by shopping the sales and having garage sales and yard sales of their own.
If space or information is needed along the highway, please contact your local chamber of commerce: Gentry -- 479-736-2358; Gravette -- 479-787-8998; Siloam Springs -- 479-549-7616 or 479-584-6466; or Sulphur Springs 918-837-0456.
Fall Festival
Gentry's annual fall festival, cosponsored by the Gentry Chamber of Commerce and the Gentry United Way, is planned for Saturday, Oct. 10.
The festival will begin at noon, with activities throughout the afternoon. In the evening, there will be a cruise night.
Gentry's new head football coach, Paul Ernest, will sit in the dunking booth to raise money for the Gentry United Way at the festival to be held in Gentry City Park. Ernest said he will recruit some other "participants" for the event as well.
As in years past, there will be festival foods, a car show, games and live music. One of the performers at this year's event will be Gentry's own Mark Shields and his band, performing from 1 to 3 p.m. on the main stage. Also planned are horse and carriage rides for $5. For the children, there will be inflatable rides at no charge.
The Gentry Athletic Booster Club will host a 5K run at 8 a.m. on the morning of Oct. 10. Registration opens at 7 a.m. This is a fundraising event. Participants will receive a T-shirt. For more information, call 479-233-2333.
The festival will kick off the 2016 Gentry United Way fundraising campaign and 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.
Two recent projects the Gentry United Way has supported financially are the new restrooms in the Gentry City Park and the walking trails project. The Gentry United Way is a stand-alone United Way agency in the area -- not part of the combined Benton and Washington Counties United Way. Contributions to the Gentry United Way are directed by the Gentry United Way board to primarily serve Gentry residents. Contributions may be sent to the Gentry United Way in care of the Gentry Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 642, Gentry, AR 72734.
Community on 09/30/2015