Arkansas Media Room

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December 16, 2009

Submitted by: Main Street Helena

 

As the holiday season approaches, shoppers begin searching tirelessly for the perfect item for each name on their ever-growing gift list. The hunt for that ideal item can get overwhelming and take all of the fun out of a shopping excursion. A trip to Historic Helena, Ark., can make your shopping a fun-filled, bargain-hunting, enjoyable adventure. Historic Helena offers a variety of specialty shops and boutiques offering a variety of gift items guaranteed to please even the finickiest on your list without breaking the bank!

Shopping the Arkansas Delta Way!

Handworks, located at 227 Cherry Street, offers items from refined to retro. Handworks carries Rae Ann Creations, a line of handcrafted jewelry made of gemstones, fresh water pearls, shells, crystals, glass, and precious metals. You’ll also find a great variety of candles, bags, frames, handmade artwork, food items and bath accessories. Make sure and check out the retro Arkansas and Mississippi embroidered pillows, guaranteed to take you back to vacations from your childhood. Adjacent to Handworks is City Limitless, where you’ll find a selection of rustic furniture, architectural items, and an array of antique doors and windows.

Gracious Living is one of the newest shops to call Historic Helena home. Located at 306 Cherry Street, you’ll find a potpourri of items, ranging from one-of-a-kind antiques to exquisite gift ideas. Antique furniture, pillows, lamps, glassware and framed prints and photographs can all be found within the shop. Gracious Living lives up to its moniker…and offers items to make your life a little more gracious and enjoyable.

Precious Memories/Antique Treasures is located at 414 Cherry Street and offers shoppers everything from antiques to “junktiques.” Antique china and stoneware share the space with a variety of furniture, glassware, books, framed pictures and prints, and a large selection of holiday items. Precious Memories/Antique Treasures is also a good location to search for those hard-to-find items you remember from your childhood.

Cotton and Kudzu Mall at 413 Cherry Street is a collection of merchants within one location. Here you’ll find a vast array of antiques, jewelry, handmade children’s clothing, candles, soaps, purses…and so much more! In the back you’ll find homemade food items from Fabulous Foods and Angel’s Food. Angel’s Food’s fridge offers shoppers an assortment of yummy delights including fresh pimento cheese and chicken salads. If you’re watching your diet, there are also low-fat varieties available. In the Fabulous Foods freezer, you can grab some of Chef Helen’s soups, gumbo, pasta, and casseroles. The Fabulous Foods area also offers choices of dips, spreads and sauces.

Delta Gypsy Caravan, about a block away at 509 Cherry, has a vast selection of gift ideas including holiday items, picture frames, bags and purses, jewelry, dinnerware, a large selection of baby items and monogrammed items. Shoppers will also find a collection of holiday decorations, ranging from funky and retro to classic and traditional.

The Coal House Shops is also a new addition to shopping in the Historic Helena area. Located at 430 Ohio Street, the Coal House Shops offers holiday shoppers a variety of gift items and collectibles to browse. The shop also offers a full line of alteration services.

The Shoppes at Solomon House, located a few blocks away at 726 Columbia Street, offers a true shopping experience, ranging from antique Disney collectibles to antique furniture to estate jewelry. The Shoppes at Solomon House are divided into themed rooms, ranging from The Playroom to The Boutique. Antique linens and quilts are exhibited in the Fireside Room. A large selection of estate jewelry, sterling silver and precious and semi-precious gems can be found in the Vista Room.

Dining the Arkansas Delta Way!

Now that you’ve shopped away the morning or afternoon, it’s a great time to grab a bite to eat or drink. You can find everything from sandwiches to pasta favorites to burgers to Tex-Mex.

Rio Lindo is the newest addition to Historic Helena’s cuisine options. Open for lunch and dinner, Rio Lindo offers a variety of Tex-Mex favorites, ranging from tacos to enchiladas to deep fried poblano peppers. The menu also features daily lunch specials. Rio Lindo offers patrons choices featuring shrimp and chicken, as well as beef and vegetarian options and a full bar. Rio Lindo is located at 101 Missouri Street.

Located at 115 Cherry Street, The Blue Tulip offers daily specials, a selection of salads, sandwiches, and lunch plates (with your choice of meatloaf, fried chicken tenders, or turkey and dressing) with two veggies. The Blue Tulip is open for dinner on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and features a menu offering pastas, steaks and other specialties, as well as a full bar.

If you’re in the mood for soul food, you’ll want to head to Granny Dee’s Soul Food at 426 Cherry Street. Here you’ll find a variety of soul food favorites – fried chicken, turnip greens, fried catfish, black-eyed peas, corn bread, sweet potatoes – along with burgers, sandwiches, Smokey Joes (a smoked sausage with ALL the fixings!) and breakfast all day on Saturdays. Granny Dee herself will most likely be in the kitchen, and she is known for her wonderful hand-made desserts.

If you’re on the go and want to grab something on the run, check out the Roadkill Grill at 523 Cherry. The roadside food hut offers a huge selection of items, ranging from fried rice to burgers to fish tacos to enchiladas to fried bologna sandwiches! There’s outdoor seating and free Wi-Fi access. The Roadkill Grill also offers a late breakfast.

Y’all Come See Us!

Historic Helena has something for everyone. Of course, it’s become a shopping destination for those looking for unique and fun gift items and offers some great dining options. There’s also the Delta Cultural Center and the nearby Phillips County Museum for history buffs. You can take a walk along the Mississippi River. Visit one of the Civil War batteries and learn more about the Battle of Helena. Experience the splendor of the Victorian age at the Pillow-Thompson House. There’s so much to do in Historic Helena, you’ll definitely want to come back!

For more information on Historic Helena, contact Main Street Helena at 870-338-9144.