Alliance bar to host spelling bee

“We have trivia nights and karaoke. I have never heard of this idea. I love it.” Julie Carpinelli, manager of the Tri-county Restaurant Association

ALLIANCE – The Naborhood Inn is giving adults a second chance at becoming a spelling champ.

The bar at 848 W. State St. will host its first-ever spelling bee Feb. 25, starting at 3 p.m. The winner-take-all contest costs $10 to enter with 20 spots available. The prize is cash.

Participants will have a chance to reenter the contest if they miss a word, but only one time.

A.J. Walker, co-owner, said a participant who wants to re-enter the contest would pay $5 for a second attempt with the same word or $10 for a new word. “One or the other, one time,” he said. Walker, a former chef in Chicago, said the spelling bee draws from a similar contest at a Chicago bar he used to frequent.

“It was always a blast,” he said. “I thought it would be a fun time (to do it here).”

Like Queen of Hearts games or karaoke, Walker said, the spelling bee is a promotional event to draw in patrons.

“We have trivia nights and karaoke. I have never heard of this idea,” said Julie Carpinelli, manager of the Tri-county Restaurant Association, which covers Stark, Carroll and Tuscarawas counties. “I love it.”

She said she could see more bars and restaurants adopt this event.

“It could be a good game night,” she said.

Walker said participants should preregister and pre-pay to enter the bee. If spots are available on the contest day, people can still enter at that time. There were eight spots filled by Thursday morning.

Reach Benjamin Duer at 330-5808567 or ben.duer@cantonrep.com.