‘Making Memories’ is 2019 Gravette Day theme

GRAVETTE — “Making Memories” is the theme for the 2019 Gravette Day scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 10. This year’s event will include several new activities, including a 5K run/ walk, a car bash and Main Street After Hours.

The day will begin at 6:30 a.m. with the annual Kiwanis pancake breakfast at the Gravette Middle School cafeteria. The all-you-can-eat breakfast costs $5 per person and includes pancakes, sausage, coffee and orange juice. There is no cost for children age 6 and younger. Breakfast will be served until 10 a.m.

An Arkansas Razorback themed quilt created by Betty Howard will be raffled, with proceeds going to support Kiwanis projects. Tickets are $1 each or six for $5 and will be available at the door or may be purchased in advance at Arvest Bank, where the quilt is currently on display, or at Teasley Drug.

A Gravette Day 5K run/walk will begin at 8 a.m. at Old Town Park, with the route going through downtown Gravette. The route map is available on the city of Gravette website at www.gravettear.com. Proceeds from the run/ walk will benefit the Shop with a Cop program, in which officers with the Gravette Police Department take students from Gravette School District shopping for Christmas.

Also starting at 8 a.m. and continuing until 3 p.m. is an arts and crafts show at the Gravette Civic Center. Artists who are interested in participating may contact Michael Kelley at 479936-1424.

Dutch-oven demonstrations will be held at the Gravette Historical Museum at 9 a.m. Judging will take place at 1 p.m. The public is invited to purchase bowls for $5 for use in the public tasting portion of the event which begins at 2 p.m. Winners will be announced at 3 p.m. Items, including Gravette school apparel, a fryer and themed baskets will be raffled with tickets priced at one for $1, six for $5 or 13 for $10. Raffle drawings will take place at 3:15 p.m. Ticket holders need not be present to win. Contact Randi Van Noy at 479-866-7297 if interested in entering the cookoff event.

A high school football scrimmage will be held at Lion Stadium from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., and guided renovation tours will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at Glenn Duffy Elementary and Gravette Middle School.

At Pop Allum Park, a skateboard and bicycle demonstration and friendly competition will be held from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the skate park. The public is invited to watch as riders from Benton County demonstrate their skills.

In keeping with the “Making Memories” photography theme, the Gravette Public Library will provide opportunities for people to participate in Bookface in which a participant places a book cover in front of his or her face, lining it up to match the elements, and takes a photo. The library invites participants to tag @gravettepubliclibrary if posting their photos on Instagram.

A car show will take place on the 400 block of Charlotte Street S.E., with registration starting at 11 a.m. Awards will be presented at 3 p.m. Contact Chris or Tina Crose at 479-7870510 for more information.

The Gravette Day Parade will feature grand marshal Steve Huckriede. Huckriede, a photographer, has documented local events and is known for his nature photographs, some of which are on display at several local businesses. The parade begins at noon and will travel from Charlotte Street N.E. north along Arkansas Highway 59, turning east onto Main Street to Kindley Park where Mayor Kurt Maddox will welcome the public in an opening ceremony. Awards will be given for the youngest and oldest attendees, as well as the person who traveled the farthest to attend Gravette Day. Gravette High School band and cheerleaders will lead a pep rally.

Food and vendor booths will open at Kindley Park, beginning at 10 a.m. A variety of food options will be available. The expanded vendor area will feature booths selling goods such as boutique clothing, purses, essential oils, jewelry, home decor, meal solutions, quilts and more. The Kids Zone will be open from 1 to 6 p.m. and will feature inflatables, a rock wall and a fourperson bungee trampoline, Tub of Fun and Wizzer, all of which will be available for children to enjoy at no cost.

The Gravette Fire Department will host a car bash on Main Street after the parade. A rescue dummy will be placed inside a 1970s era Mercury Sable and people may, for the cost of a $2 ticket, bash the vehicle with a variety of hammers for a one-minute period. Rescue personnel will demonstrate vehicle extrication skills by removing the dummy from the car at approximately 3 p.m. A Thompson Center Compass 6.4 Creedmoor rifle with Leupold 3x9x40 scope will be raffled. Tickets are $5 each or five for $20 and may be purchased at the car bash. Proceeds of the car bash and raffle will go to the Gravette Women’s Auxiliary, which supports the fire department.

Bottlerocket will take the stage at 1:30 p.m. The band plays pop and rock music and has appeared at venues in northwest and central Arkansas.

Pageants will begin at 3:30 p.m. at Kindley Park and include Pretty Baby, Tiny Tot (girls and boys), Little Miss Toddler, Mr. Tiny Tot, Little Mister, Little Miss Petite, Little Miss, Miss Tween, Miss Preteen, Miss Teen Gravette and Miss Gravette. Miss Teen Gravette eveningwear and crowning will take place at 6:50 p.m., with the Miss Gravette eveningwear and crowning following at 7:20 p.m.

The events will conclude with Main Street After Hours, which will be held from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Activities will include karaoke, sidewalk art, yard games, a beer garden and food vendors.

Gravette Day T-shirts are currently available for purchase for $7 at City Hall and the Gravette Public Library. They will also be available for purchase on Gravette Day at the gazebo in Kindley Park. The 2019 shirts feature photographs of Centennial Park, Kindley Park and Main Street.

Registration forms for vendors, the 5K run/ walk, parade entries and pageants are available at www.gravettear.com.