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Mountains, Music & Mistletoe |
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December 16, 2009
Submitted by: Ozark Gateway Tourist Council
This Friday and Saturday, December 18th and 19th, the Ozark Folk Center and the downtown Mountain View merchants will join together for a fun-filled Christmas celebration. Mountains, Music & Mistletoe will feature good old-fashioned holiday cheer both on the Historic Court Square and in the Folk Center Craft Village. The Village and the Homespun Gift Shop will be open from 10am to 4 pm on Friday and Saturday and downtown merchants will be open extended hours from 9 am to 6 pm on both Friday and Saturday. Look for special sales on stocking stuffers in the Folk Center gift shop and at merchants throughout Mountain View.
At the Folk Center: No matter what the weather, the shops in the Ozark Folk Center Craft Village will be warm and full of cheer. In the Country Kitchen, Alice will be cooking up sweet treats and goodies for boys and girls of all ages. Bubba will be carving his world famous Santa Spools in the Gift Shop. Grapevine Betty will be wrapping and decorating beautiful Christmas wreathes that might be just the right finishing touch on your holiday décor. Doris Fountain will have her unique Old World Santas in the classroom next to the Pottery Shop. The knife maker, candle makers, jewelers, potters, broom maker, wood carver, quilter, painters, spinners, weavers, leatherworkers and many others will all be in their shops making one-of-a-kind treasures that could make the perfect holiday gift. Many of the shops will be offering hot cider, hot cocoa and cookies to warm your tummy. The Skillet Restaurant will be open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. for those who want more substantial fare. If you’re in search of a truly unique gift, visit with the crafts people about the classes they offer during the year. The gift of a class at the Quilt Retreat, Folk School or a One-on-One craft class will be appreciated for a lifetime. Registration forms for Folk Schools and classes are available in the craft shops or in the Ozark Folk Center Administration Building.
Musicians will be playing throughout the day in many of the shops and carolers will wander the village, singing old-fashioned Christmas favorites. Mrs. Santa will be in the Gift Shop, next to the hearth, to take the children’s last-minute requests and deliver them to Santa at the North Pole. School Master Charles will be sharing tales of Ozark Christmas past in the School House. Music will be played by our talented musicians in the Basket Shop, Candle Shop, Clothier and other shops.
On the Square: Stores on the Square will be open extended hours from 9 to 6 pm on Friday and Saturday and will celebrate the weekend with refreshments and special sales. Many of the shops will be featuring demonstrations and work by local artists and musicians. The Arkansas Craft Gallery's featured artist for the month of December, Joe Doster, woodworker, will be demonstrating his craft at the Gallery on Friday, and Ann Snyder will be painting in the gallery on Saturday. Sue Lukens and Raymond Creasey will play original music from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Gallery with Raymond playing guitar and banjo, and Sue playing keyboard. Their style ranges from folk and bluegrass to rock and roll and jazz. Stop in and enjoy a cup of hot cider while you listen to music and shop for the perfect gift for that someone special on your shopping list. The gallery features the unique handcrafted work of members of the Arkansas Craft Guild - an all Arkansas juried member cooperative. Betty Ward, Painter and Mountain View Art Guild member will be at at Wallace Woodworks; Joy Harp, painter and Off the Beaten Path Studio Tour Artist will be at Candy Bouquet and Stonebrook Fudge Factory, Loretta Babak, Painter, also a Studio Tour artist will be at the Olive Tree Gallery with her work also at the Quilting Bee; Vonda Martin and her 'Snow Men Galore' will be at the Tres Amigos Mexican Restaurant, and Doris Fountain, Folk artist specializing in Old World Santas, will be in Aunt Minnie's Little Yellow House. Sanders Antiques and Ritsy Rags will feature fiber artists, cornshuck dolls and angels, and music by dulcimer player Charlie Mink (on Friday). Rani Elena Larson and Dana Shaeffer will be among the fiber artists demonstrating weaving and Erlene Carter will be making cornshuck dolls and angels. Next door, The Ironworks on the square has work by local potters David and Becki Dahlstedt and candle maker Linda Caperton. Many local painters and photographers exhibit their work at Joy's Cafe on the Square. For a special treat, The Cobb Boys will be playing at the Cafe on Saturday from 4:30 - 6:00 pm in conjunction with the festivities and shopping around town - stop in and listen - they will be playing Christmas music, bluegrass, and rock. On Friday night at Joy's it is game night, so stop in for a game of dominoes, scrabble, or whatever strikes your fancy.
Local potters David and Becki Dahlstedt will have an open studio sale on Friday and Saturday. Their studio is located 3 blocks west of the Court Square at 511 Jackson St. Call 269-4103 for directions and information. The Dahlstedts also have pottery at the Arkansas Craft Gallery, the Ironworks on the Square, Sander's Antiques, Aunt Minnie's Yellow House (for those who collect the blue and white pattern); and at the Dulcimer Shoppe, where you can also see dulcimers being made and get a quick lesson in how to play the mountain dulcimer. Be sure to check out the Nikki Atwell Foundation Music Project, an exhibit of photographs and stories of local musicians young and old, on display at Country Time Restaurant.
Get away from it all and enjoy a relaxing old-fashioned holiday weekend. There are still comfortable rooms available in the Cabins at Dry Creek or check out Mountain View’s other friendly bed and breakfasts and lodging facilities at www.ozarkgetaways.com. For more information on Mountains, Music and Mistletoe at the Ozark Folk Center, call 870-269-3851.