Shamrockin’ fills the square with fun, food and live music
Shamrockin’ on the Square, the first major event to be held this year, took place Saturday, bringing local residents to downtown El Dorado for a day of games, food and music.
One of the first major events to be cancelled when the COVID-19 pandemic hit Arkansas last March, Shamrockin’, an early St. Patrick’s Day celebration, was added to the community calendar in January.
Beth Brumley, executive director of Main Street El Dorado, which organized the event, said she was happy with how things went Saturday.
“We’re glad everyone came out and had a good time,” she said. “I think we could’ve gone later than we did. We’re looking forward to the next event.”
At any given time during the fourhour event, about 300 people were in attendance, Brumley said. That’s fewer than the Arkansas Department of Health had recommended when MSE submitted an event plan for consideration prior to Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s recent announcement that COVID directives would become optional guidelines.
“We were well under that, but we still had a fabulous time,” Brumley said. “I talked to a few people that are on the conservative side, they still wear their mask everywhere; they said they all felt really comfortable. People pretty much all stayed in their little groups.”
Local residents could be seen variously dancing to live music from local and regional acts; trying out axe-throwing at the Kilt’s demonstration station; eating crawfish, Pupp’s BBQ and sweet treats available at food trucks and carts and local businesses; and strolling through downtown visiting shops.
“I saw several people shopping,” Brumley said. “That’s always a main point of these events, to help promote our downtown businesses.”
There were also three competitions with prizes available to win held at the event.
Matt and Ashley Graves split the $140 pot of the Baggo tournament that started at noon, and Ashley Graves went on to win the $120 pot at the revival of the Union County Rock-Paper-Scissors Tournament. Kristen Taute won a prize package made by downtown businesses valued at $600 for completing a scavenger hunt that started last week.
Rexayn Tribble, owner of All About Flowers, said she was also pleased with how the event went. She manned a table outside her store where she served samples of alcoholic Italian ice treats called “Goodtimes,” which she sells at the flower shop.
“Isn’t it great to see people out?” Tribble said. “It’s been a great day.”
Fayrays held a fundraiser Saturday, raising money for the family of the late Amy Pridgen Thomason, who was active in volunteering with the Union County Animal Protection Society and South Arkansas Pantry Fillers, selling crawfish and shrimp plates. Pupp’s BBQ, based in Smackover, also had a food truck set up in front of their soon-to-be new location at 101 E. Main, the former location of longtime downtown staple LaBella’s.
Brumley said she thinks the next event MSE has planned, May on Main, which is scheduled for May 1 to be held in conjunction with the annual Mayhaw Festival put on by the South Arkansas Historical Preservation Society, will also be a success.
May on Main will feature music from Zach Abbott, Blackstrap Molasses and Karla Case; a motorcycle poker run (“always a favorite,” Brumley said); and a grill-off, while the Mayhaw Festival will include sales of the famous mayhaw jelly the festival is named for; the annual plant sale; a car and bike show; some children’s activities; and mask-based competitions, with prizes for Best and Most Creative masks, in order to encourage attendees to continue following COVID-19 guidelines.
“If everything stays the way it’s going we should be able to have all our events this year,” Brumley said Saturday afternoon.