GRAVETTE — Gravette Day is just around the corner. The annual celebration is planned for this Saturday, August 13. Theme for this year's celebration is "Just a Kid from Gravette," and many kids from Gravette who have gone on to great accomplishments are expected to be in town for the event.
The day begins early with the Kiwanis pancake breakfast from 6:30 to 10 a.m. in the middle school cafeteria. The breakfast menu includes all-you-can-eat of pancakes, sausage, orange juice and coffee. Kiwanis members are also raffling tickets for a basket-weave pattern quilt donated by Betty Howard. Drawing for the quilt will be held at 10 a.m. as the breakfast concludes.
A "Generations" art show, featuring work by artists young and old, will be on display in the community room of the Bank of Gravett from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Cooking will also begin early for the fourth annual Dutch-oven cook off on the grounds of the Gravette historical museum. Seven teams have entered and each will be preparing a main dish, a side dish and a dessert. Judging of the dishes will begin at 12:30 p.m. and a public tasting will be held at 1:30. Persons buying a tasting bowl for $5 may sample all the entries. Awards of $150 to the first place team, $100 to second place and $75 to third place will be given.
The annual car, truck and bike show will be held this year on Birmingham Street, on the north side of the former bus barn property. Registration begins at 11 a.m. with an entry fee of $10 for each vehicle. Judging of the vehicles will be held about 2 p.m., with awards presented at 3 p.m. For further information, contact Chris and Tina Crose, 479-787-0510.
The Gravette Day parade will begin at noon. Entries will assemble on Charlotte Street, S.E., proceed up Highway 59 to Main Street, and go east on Main toward Kindley Park. Representative Kim Hendren will be the parade marshal for this year's parade. Miss Gravette and Miss Teen Gravette contestants will also ride in the parade.
A wide variety of fun activities have been planned for the youngsters, and a special Kids Zone will be open in Kindley Park from 12:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., offering bounce houses and games. Five play stations will be set up in the northwest corner of the park where youngsters can do face painting and temporary tattoos, fish in a duck pond, play bean-bag toss and tin-can toss games and search for pennies in a haystack.
Opening ceremonies will be held on the stage in Kindley Park at 1 p.m., with awards given for the oldest and youngest persons attending and the person traveling the farthest to come to Gravette Day. The Gravette High School band and cheer squad will perform immediately afterward.
Another fun activity for the youngsters, the kiddos' fireman's muster will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Main Street just north of the park. Children, 6-12, will be allowed to compete in three events, using fire hoses to knock down a mock fire, participating in a bucket brigade and stretching a fire line and knocking down cones. Prizes will be given for the best times in each event.
Dancers from Dynamic Rhythm dance studio will perform from 2:30 to 3 p.m., just preceding the afternoon pageants. A total of nine pageants, for youngsters under 1 through the Miss Gravette contest, will begin at 3 p.m. The final evening wear competition and crowning for Miss Teen Gravette will be held at 5:50, with Miss Gravette evening wear competition and crowning at 6:20. Four young ladies will be competing for Miss Teen Gravette and four have entered the Miss Gravette competition. Deadline for other entries, 13 and under, is Wednesday, Aug. 10, at 4:30 p.m.
Food vendors -- from the popular pee wee football team's lemonade stand to a Subway booth offering sandwiches, chips and soft drinks -- will be set up in the park. The Subway booth is sponsoring a treasure hunt for free food. Persons who visit various points specified on their entry form will be eligible to win a giant sub sandwich, five large pizzas or $45 in pizza. Food trucks offering a variety of foods, including hot dogs, corn dogs, nachos and funnel cakes, will be operating all day. Arvest Bank will be offering free slices of watermelon in early afternoon.
The day's activities will conclude with a free concert by the Reeves Brothers band at 7:30 p.m. Matt and Cole, vocals and guitar, are former Gravette residents and their musical talents have been featured at several area venues. Other members of the band are Kelly Bishop, bass guitar; Terry Lynn, drums; and Steve Gall, steel guitar and vocals. Their new album, "Home Sweet Honky-Tonk," will be available Sept. 3.
General News on 08/10/2016