Springfest downtown this Saturday

A plant swap will be one of the highlights of Springfest ’09, an event planned for Saturday, May 2, in downtown Stuttgart.
Springfest is being sponsored by the Downtown Business Committee of the Stuttgart Chamber of Commerce.
The public is invited to bring bags of seeds, bulbs, cuttings and extra plants they dig up to the Plant Swap, which will take place at 10 a.m. on the 2nd Street Parking Lot next to Freemyer’s Best Brands Plus.
“Everyone who brings an item to the Plant Swap will be able to take an item home. No one will leave empty-handed,” said Chamber President Tammy Bracewell. “For example, if you set 5 plants on the table, you will get 5 plants to take home. Each participant gets a ticket and tickets are drawn one at a time.”
Several other activities are planned for Springfest.
FFA students from Stuttgart High School will be selling plants from their greenhouse starting at 9 a.m. at the 2nd Street Parking Lot. SHS teacher Patricia Adcock said money raised from the sale of plants will benefit the local FFA program.
Downtown merchants will also be holding Sidewalk Sales that day. To coincide with the Sildewalk Sales, shoppers will have a chance to try their luck at one of the most popular games sweeping the country, Baggo, the official bag toss game.
Baggo boards will be set up in front of downtown stores, allowing the public to try and win store discounts.
“Baggo is played like horseshoes,” said Angela Reinhart, director of programs at the Stuttgart Chamber of Commerce. “It’s fun for the whole family and tournaments are held throughout the country. This is a great way to get introduced to the game and try it out.”
Cuppy’s Coffee will set up downtown during Springfest. The Stuttgart Animal Shelter will also be downtown on Saturday offering an Adopt-A-Pet program.
Stuttgart Animal Control Officer Darren Findley said he hopes all the animals currently at the animal shelter will find homes at Springfest.
The Arkansas Forestry Commission, along with Smokey the Bear, will be at Springfest giving away tree seedlings to the public.
Mal R Duck, the official mascot of the Wings Over the Prairie Festival, is also expected to be a Springfest.

German Heritage Festival

The 2nd annual German Heritage Festival will be held Saturday, May 9 at the Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie.
Events get started at 9 a.m. with a 5K run/walk.
The festival and vendors open at 10 a.m. with the Bratwurst Luncheon beginning at 11 a.m.
Vendors this year include a genealogy booth, homemade German pastas, jewelry guild, pottery guild, wine tasting and more!
There will be plenty of children's activities at the German Heritage Festival, including an old fashioned sack race, tug-o-war, bobbing for apples, pie throwing, dunking booth, archery and more!
For more information, contact the Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie at (870) 673-7001.

Health and Wellness Expo

The 10th annual Grand Prairie Health & Wellness Expo will be held Saturday, April 25, on the Stuttgart campus of Phillips Community College.
The event includes free health screenings and more than 40 information booths from private and non-profit organizations.
There will be plenty of children's activities, including Kids' Cooking Classes sponsored by Arkansas County Partners In Health.
Classes are 30 minutes long with one class each hour for ages K-6th grade. Registration forms are required to attend the cooking classes and forms may be picked up at any local schools.
The hours of the Grand Prairie Health & Wellness Expo are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Contact the Stuttgart Chamber of Commerce at (870) 673-1602 for more information.

Spring Carnival

The Stuttgart Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a Spring Carnival this week.
The Spring Carnival features rides and games from Miller Spectacular Shows of Greenbrier, Ark.
The carnival is set up at 22nd and Main streets near Pizza Hut.
Armband Day is Thursday, April 16, from 5 p.m. until closing. Armbands are $15 and allow you to ride as many rides as you want and as often as you want.
Hours of the Spring Carnival are 5 p.m. until closing Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Saturday the carnival will be open from 1 p.m. until closing.
Bring the family and enjoy the spring weather.

"A Woman's Journey"

Joins us for the first of three Business Women's Series luncheons sponsored by the Stuttgart Chamber of Commerce and BancorpSouth.
On Friday, April 24, "A Woman's Journey Toward Financial Independence" will be offered at the Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie.
The speaker will be Michael Monk of The Hartford Financial Services Group.
Registration fee is $15 and lunch is included.
The luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Contact the Stuttgart Chamber of Commerce at (870) 673-1602.