BY BARBARA M. TOBAIS –
Get in the holiday spirit with all the activities at this year’s Christmas Festival, Downtown Parade, music, fireworks, and the official Lighting Ceremony at Janssen Park.
Festivities kick off with the Christmas Parade at 6 p.m., sponsored by the Mena/Polk County Chamber of Commerce. The Christmas Festival, presented by the Mena Advertising & Promotion Commission, will begin immediately following the parade.
Mena Art Gallery will be having a Christmas Open House and Bake Sale on Saturday, December 3rd, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. There will be all kinds of goodies for sale all day. There are plenty of wonderful gifts available in the Gallery’s Christmas Show as well as beautiful ornaments made by our members. Stop in and see us, warm up with hot drinks and chili during and after the parade. It’s a great way to start the season!
If you still have some uncrossed-off names on your Christmas shopping list, you will find lots to choose from this month and next at the gallery: Pen & Ink, Pastels, Acrylic Paintings, Oil Paintings, Crocheted Afghans, Quilts, Multi-Media, Wood Carvings, Walking Sticks, Tote Bags, Purses, Jewelry, Metal Art, Photography, Dream Catchers, Wood Working, Flower Arrangements, Wreaths, Cards, and so much more.
In addition there are beautiful handmade ornaments (created by our members) on our Artist’s Tree and in the windows so you can either choose something for a gift or to enhance your own Artist’s Tree.
For that hard to buy for person, we now have Holiday Gift Certificates. You can select the amount you want to spend, and they can select the gift they would like.
There is a raffle for the Christmas Star Wreath: tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5.
Purchases made from November 17 through December 15 can be entered into a drawing for a gift basket from the Downtown Partners. The basket includes dinner for two at Stache’s Cookery, tickets to the Ouachita Little Theatre, and other gifts from participating partners.
And don’t forget about yourself. You can make out a wish list and give it to us along with the prospective giver. We will call the gift giver and let them know you have a list here of items you would like. We will even wrap it for free! We love playing Santa.
The gallery is open from 11 am to 2 pm Tuesdays and 10 am to 3 pm Wednesdays through Saturdays.
About Author
Jeri Pearson
Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.

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