Time to Dine on the Line
Event includes dinner, live music and a fall marketplace
Texarkana’s annual celebration of our two-state downtown returns on Saturday, Oct. 7, with Dine on the Line providing live music, a fall market, shared dinner and more right where Texas and Arkansas meet.
A fundraiser for Main Street Texarkana, Dine on the Line features something new and that’s a three-course dinner prepped by Pecan Point Gastropub & Brewery and Verona Italian Restaurant, two neighborhood eateries. The event runs from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. right on State Line Avenue.
“Great music, great food. We’re going with our downtown restaurants this year,” said Ina McDowell, Main Street Texarkana executive director. That live music features a local act, the Dusty Rose Band.
Dani Hamblett, event marketer, said dinner includes a salad, chicken and alligator sausage gumbo over rice and a dessert. And along with that, there’s okra cornbread to eat with the gumbo.
For the kids, there’s a special meal prepared by Johnny B’s, another downtown restaurant. It’s chicken strips, macaroni and cheese and, for dessert, a homemade cookie.
Keep in mind that in order to coordinate the dinner, people must buy tickets by Sept. 30. “It’s like a come-and-go event, so you come and you can participate in activities. There’s going to be kid’s activities. The Texarkana Twins are going to be there with some kind of activity for kids. We’re going to have some sand digging. The (Texarkana) Museums System will be out there with some things,” Hamblett said, noting it’s a way for families to support downtown while having fun with their kids.
“And then there’s going to be a fall marketplace, so people can walk around, shop the marketplace, do the activities, drink a beer, whatever, and when they’re ready they can go get their meal and have a seat at the big, long table,” she said.
Then there’s the toast, the highlight of the evening, McDowell said. “We’ll have both
mayors there doing the toast,” she said. There’s also a special song to be performed by the Dusty Rose Band, “T-Town Boogie,” written by Judge Josh Morriss III.
Why the boogie? There’s a custom-choreographed line dance—created by the Judith McCarty School of Dancing— that can be performed by anyone who wishes to do so during Dine on the Line. If people want to get a team together to participate, contact Main Street Texarkana on Facebook to get an advance look at the dance.
“We’re going to be teaching this line dance to this special song that’s called ‘T-Town Boogie,’” McDowell said. “That’s really going to kick off the band part.”
As for the market, expect to see people from the local farmer’s markets selling pumpkins, fall decorations and more items in keeping with the season.
“Plus we’ve got several downtown businesses that are participating. There’s a few nonprofits that are going to be there,” McDowell said. They include Bubblecraft Soapworks and Joseph Raymond Fine Art.
People can use a bicycle from the bike share program to ride around downtown. The TMS at Discovery Place will have dinosaur-themed activities. Painting with a Twist will participate again by making a painting of a different downtown landmark; this year it’s the Arkansas Municipal Auditorium and attendees can help with this painting of that historic local venue. It will be auctioned later.
“There will be lots to do, and then they’re going to start serving probably around 5 p.m. when people can go and get their plate and sit down. And then the toast with the mayors and the State Line dance and kickoff will start around 6 p.m. to 6:15 p.m., something like that,” McDowell said. They’ll gather everyone together to be in one location to hold up their glass for a toast.
“We’re having these really cool Dine on the Line cups printed this year, so everybody will hopefully have a Dine on the Line cup that will be special for the event to use for the toast,” McDowell said.
Last year’s crowd totaled between 600 and 700 people. “A lot of people are talking about it,” the Main Street Texarkana director said, expressing excitement about the new food this year.
This year the stage will be located a little farther down State Line Avenue, closer to the Hotel Grim, with the line of tables extending out from either side. Proceeds raised go to Main Street Texarkana’s mission to restore and revitalize downtown Texarkana.
“It’s an opportunity to support our local businesses. But first and foremost it’s a way to bring people downtown and show off our wonderful, historic downtown Texarkana,” McDowell said about Dine on the Line.
(Tickets: $25 for adults, $10 for kids 12 and under. Buy tickets through Sept. 30 at DOTL2017. eventbrite.com. More info: Call Ina McDowell at 903-792-7191 or email Dani Hamblett at dani@forallbrandkind.com. Vendor applications can be found at mainstreettexarkana.org/dineontheline.)
“... first and foremost it’s a way to bring people downtown and show off our wonderful, historic downtown Texarkana.” —Ina McDowell