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May Festival of the Arts in Eureka Springs, Arkansas

April 15th, 2012 by Sam Feldman

Time is rolling around once again to one of the best months of the year to visit Eureka Springs, AR – Mayfest! For the 3rd year in a row during the May Festival of the Arts, a month-long Eureka Springs invitational art show will take place at the Artifacts Folk & Fine Art Gallery, with approximately 50 local artists on display.

But this is only one of the many art happenings that go on during the month of May – that’s right, the whole month! You’re going to have a heck of a time figuring out the best time to come. Two of our favorites is the White Street Walk, which is basically a huge block party with artist’s homes opened up to the public (lots of art and jewelry for sale, also free food and drink!) and Books in Bloom, which is a garden party for writers and readers. We go every year and it’s fascinating to hear authors talk about how to write (don’t we all really want to write the next best seller?).

 

White St Walk Eureka Springs, AR

White St Walk

Books in Bloom

Books in Bloom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, all of this is kicked off by one of our great street parades, the ARTrageous parade on May 5th, where you will see incredible costumes, African drumming (we have our own resident drummer from the Ivory Coast – that’s a whole ‘nother blog!) and even belly dancers. For a short preview of the parade:

http://youtu.be/HY9HiS6gdkk

By the way, part of the May Festival of the Arts – that first weekend – is “Africa in the Ozarks“, which features our local residents in a celebration of African rhythm dance, food and culture. Particularly the dancing and the drumming will get your blood flowing fast!

All month long artists are featured in our various galleries, so again, any time you might visit in May, there will be something going on! Check the May Festival of the Arts Schedule of Events to plan your visit.

Oh, and on May 19th is the Spring Garden Tour which features some wonderful gardens throughout town: private homes, churches and B&Bs – including yours truly!

All this ends up with the last day in May heading into the first weekend in June, which always features one of our most popular festivals of the year, the Blues Festival!

The Bridgeford House Bed and Breakfast here in Eureka Springs, AR, has rooms available for all of May and we even have some still available for Blues Festival Weekend, but call pretty quickly! You know we’d love to have you come stay with us and we’re within walking distance of all this fabulous fun.

Warmest regards,

Jeff and Nadara (Sam) Feldman – and Sophie, too!

Countess Sophie Marie of the Bridgeford House Bed & Breakfast

Sophie, your assistant innkeeper

 

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Great New Food Festival Coming to Eureka Springs!

May 22nd, 2011 by Sam Feldman

You know we’re all about shopping, visiting spas and galleries, spending time in the great outdoors that surrounds beautiful Eureka Springs – and eating! Well, now we have a new celebration that’s all about the senses:  sight, hearing, smell, touch and of course, taste! A French-themed weekend complete with a street fair atmosphere is planned for July 7-10, 2011. “Fleur Delicious” weekend is sure to be a hit. It is expected that lodging, retail and gift shops, spas, restaurants, galleries and entertainment venues will all be participating.

Look for French-themed food (we have found a great recipe for an apple quiche and best-ever strawberry crepes…really, that’s the name of the recipe!), special French wine dinners out at some of our great restaurants, Sunday Jazz brunches, cafe crawls/coffee tastings and maybe sometime impromptu French picnics in Basin Park. Look for all kinds of French entertainment downtown, maybe some Cabaret or Cancan, face painting, mimes, jugglers, artists (of course!), cooking demonstrations, and a French-themed Sunday night movie in Basin Park.

There will be contests, such as the Waiter’s Race, Bartender competition, pooch parade/costume contest, and storefront window decorations.

This will be the first year for this festival, so who knows what to expect! But it’s bound to be glorious, silly French fun, with a lot of surprises thrown in.

Come join us!

Warmest regards,

Jeff and Nadara (Sam) Feldman – and Sophie, too! (German dog with a French name????)

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The New Great Passion Play is Here!

May 9th, 2011 by Sam Feldman

This past Friday, May 6th, saw the New Great Passion Play open for the 2011 season. This wonderful outdoor drama depicts the last few days of Christ’s mortal life on earth portrayed with a dramatic cast and live animals, donkeys, camel, sheep and more. This unforgettable and inspiring performance has been enjoyed by more than seven million people from all over the world for over 40 years.
The Great Passion Play StagePerformed in their stunning 4,100 seat panoramic outdoor amphitheater, The Great Passion Play features state-of-the art sound and lighting effects and original music in a dramatic two-hour presentation of the last week in the incarnation of Jesus of Nazareth.

Witness the colorful spectacle of the marketplace, the pageantry of the chariots and camel caravan, and the hustle and bustle of the crowds as they go about their daily activities drawing water from the well or herding their sheep through the streets of Jerusalem.

 

It’s not just about the play, either. Other activities to be enjoyed on the Passion Play grounds are:

  • Parables of the Potter
  • “Top of the Mountain” Dinner Theater featuring the award winning Gospel Music of the Texans
  • The Living Bible 2-hour Tour
  • World renown Bible Exhibit displaying over 6000 Bibles and related items
  • Christ of the Ozarks statue
  • An authentic piece of the Berlin Wall and
  • a wonderful gift shop featuring Christian gifts and apparel

Less than a 5-minute drive from us here at the Bridgeford House Bed & Breakfast, we offer a special Passion Play Package put together for your enjoyment, which allows you to do nothing more than show up!

Visable from the Bridgeford House B&B

 

 

 

Come join us for a little renewal here in Eureka Springs, AR.

Warmest regards,

Jeff and Nadara (“Sam”) Feldman – (and Sophie, too!)

 

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Mardi Gras 2011 – Eureka Springs Style!

December 31st, 2010 by Sam Feldman

For all of those who know that we are unique here in Eureka Springs, AR, you probably already know that you don’t have to go all the way down to New Orleans to enjoy Mardi Gras! We have a full schedule right here in town, organized by our #1 Cajun himself, Dan Ellis.

Festivities start as early as January 8th with the revealing of the new King and Queen for 2011, at the Rowdy Beaver. On March 3, come join us for the Hookers and Jokers ball, where the theme will be the “Gay 90′s” or “Guys and Dolls” (around here we always have “Freakin’ Eurekan” as an option, too!). On March 4, we’ll have the Coronation Royalty Ball where royalty will be crowned. What better place than at the beautiful Crescent Hotel. Saturday, March 5, finds us enjoying the Mardi Gras parade through the streets of our wonderful historic downtown. One of our favorite parts of the parade is the canine parade (okay, Sophie’s favorite), called the Krewe of Barkus. Eureka loves a parade – all visitors are invited to dress up and join us! That evening will be a masquerade ball, finishing off Sunday with the Jazz Brunch New Orleans style. Oh, wait…it appears no one ever wants to stop…there is even a Pub Crawl in the week following and who knows what else. We sure do love to party here.

See the full schedule here.


So make your plans to come. We are walking distance to all the festivities, so come stay with us, park the car, and get out and have a good time.

Warmest regards,

Jeff and Nadara (Sam) Feldman – and Sophie, too!

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Even Santa Shops in Eureka Springs!

November 21st, 2010 by Sam Feldman

And you thought we were done talking about holiday happenings in Eureka Springs, AR…but we haven’t talked about the great Christmas shopping in the historic downtown! And this year there is so much going on, it needed a blog all by itself.

First of all, there is once again the Win A Window Contest: Nov. 15 – Dec. 15
The Annual Win a Window contest is supported by Eureka Springs’ retail shops! Contestants try to guess the total amount of all the gifts in the Win A Window window across from the courthouse. The one closest wins the whole thing! You can cross everyone off your holiday shopping list. Come see the window this winter and enter for a chance to win!

And new this year, especially for kids, Find The Elves Downtown: Nov. 26, 5-7pm, Basin Spring Park
Where are those darn elves hiding? You and your family are invited to search through downtown to find live elves! Each elf will punch your Elf Card for the chance to win a free portrait session with Santa. Every participant will get prizes from the elves and receive a discount on their portrait with Photo with Santa. Come find the 7 Elves downtown with your family!

And don’t forget Santa in the Park: Nov. 26, 5-7pm, Basin Spring Park
The Chamber of Commerce brings Jolly Old St. Nick to Basin Park to hear their holiday wishes. Now this is done all by Jeff’s staff and very often there are elf costumes involved here, too…

This was a hit last year: Downtown Living Windows: Dec. 3, 3-5:30pm, Spring & Main St.
Windows downtown will come alive with live actors right before the Christmas Parade. Celebrate the winter holidays with these living postcards sure to delight your whole family.

Don’t forget Eureka Springs Christmas Parade: Dec. 3, 6pm, Downtown
This night parade sparkles to the delight of children of all ages. Hosted by the Chamber of Commerce, the parade attracts floats, bands, and groups from all over the area ready to show their holiday spirit. It’s like a Norman Rockwell painting!

Photos with Santa: Dec. 4, 11 & 18, 1-3pm, Basin Park
Santa will be in the park with Old Time Photo taking amazing photos! No Christmas photo is more special than one snapped in Basin Spring Park with Santa. Kids, families, couples, brides and pets are all welcome to sit on the big red lap!

And remember, you can walk to the Christmas Forest Tree Lighting: Dec. 4th 6pm, Crescent Hotel from the Bridgeford House B&B for the
Christmas Trees within the Forest of the Crescent Hotel gardens. They’ll be decorated by area nonprofit organizations. Come vote for your favorite and celebrate the season by sharing the vision of the holidays through the trees!

Santa’s Sunday Brunch: Dec. 5, 9:30am-2pm Crescent Hotel
This annual event is a highlight of families throughout the area! Sitting with Santa as you enjoy the delicious Crescent Hotel brunch is a season special moment. Make this a family tradition!

And this year the downtown merchants are happy to accept a new holiday discount card! A list of some of the places that are accepting the cards are:

Even Santa Shops in Eureka Springs!

Acords

Back Porch
Blue Spring Trading Post
Casa Colina
Cottage Caboodle
Eureka Massage
Eureka Thyme
Gift Corner
Iris at the Basin
Just Between Friends
Lilli’s
Myrtie Mae’s
New Moon Spa
Old Time Photos
Paper Odyssey
Pine Mountain Theater
Pizza Bar
Practical Magic Art Supply
Rowdy Beaver
Serendipity at the Crescent
Serenity Spa
Sleepys
Small World
Spry Girls
The Quilt Shop
Tummy Tickler’s
Wild Blue Yonder
Don’t put your shopping off any longer – you can find it all here!

Warmest regards,

Jeff and Nadara (Sam) Feldman – and Sophie, too!

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Christmas at the Queen Anne Mansion

October 24th, 2010 by Sam Feldman

Come celebrate an authentic Victorian Christmas at the Queen Anne Mansion! This year will be the inaugural holiday season for the $4 million newly-renovated mansion that sits at the top of the entrance to our lovely historic downtown. As described by the Queen Anne Mansion folks themselves, “Smells of evergreen and spices set a festive stage for garland, wreaths, bows and beading. Delicate ornaments, richly carved woodwork, and jewel colored stained glass sparkle in firelight and candlelight creating a feast for the eyes.  Guests are invited to a Victorian Christmas with refreshments and live music in a festive atmosphere. Victorian Christmas decor adorns authentic 19th century furnishings in this 1891 mansion.”

And to start your holiday shopping out right, visit their gorgeous gift shop while you’re there:

Dates for this fabulous tour are November 27th, December 4th and December 11th. Tickets are $25 for the candlelight tour and starts at 5 p.m.

Eureka Springs will be beautiful during the holiday season, starting around mid-November and of course the shopping will be wonderful! Come visit us here and see wonderful lights, our very popular Christmas parade (Friday, December 3), the annual Candlelight Tour of Homes (December 4) and the 4th annual Sweet Treats Cookie Tour (December 11).

You will really believe you have stepped back in time for a truly Victorian Christmas!

Warmest regards,

Jeff and Nadara (Sam) Feldman – and Sophie, too!

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Eat Your Way Through Eureka Springs

October 17th, 2010 by Sam Feldman

It’s almost time for our annual Sweet Treats Cookie and Candy Tour! Come join us here at the Bridgeford House Bed and Breakfast for the weekend of December 10th & 11th, 2010, and participate in an exciting tour of eight historic bed and breakfasts here in Eureka Springs. All will be dressed to the nines in Christmas holiday splendor – great for taking decorating ideas home! At each inn you will be greeted with smiling innkeepers handing you a sample of each of their two sweet treats – candy or cookies or some other sugar-laced concoction – and their recipes to take home! Guaranteed to gain several pounds – unless you skip the trolley and walk to all the inns, which is definitely possible.

Here at the Bridgeford House, we again offer our weekend package so that not only can you enjoy the sweet treats, you can enjoy some holiday shopping and some holiday relaxing, too! For just an add-on cost of $55 to the cost of your two-night stay in the room of your choice (depending on availability), we’ll provide two tickets to the tour, two trolley tickets (for the lazy folks), and two elegant Christmas ornaments for a keepsake. Of course you will also receive our full-size, four-course breakfast each morning, our Sweet Treats samples and recipes, hot chocolate, plus all the usual treats you’ll find on your bed each afternoon! (No, we’re not talking about Sophie, we’re talking about more food!)

And each ticket holder will have a chance to win one of three $100 gift certificates to be used at the tour inn of your choice for lodging (to be used by June 30, 2011).

The tour is from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, December 11th, and tickets are $20 each. It is not necessary to book a stay to do the tour – just call us for tour tickets!

Warmest regards,

Jeff and Nadara (Sam) Feldman – and Sophie, too!

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Queen Anne Mansion Re-opens!

April 25th, 2010 by Sam Feldman

Following a four year, multimillion dollar restoration, The Queen Anne Mansion will open as house museum on Saturday, May 1, 2010 at 10 AM. Museum tours feature fanciful American Queen Anne style architecture, one of the most impressive collections of 19th century decorative arts, and stories of The Queen Anne Mansion’s first family and their distinctive houseguests.

Location:     The Queen Anne Mansion House Museum

115 West Van Buren

Eureka Springs, Arkansas 72632

Hours:         Thursday-Monday, 10 AM-5 PM & Wednesday 7 PM- 9PM

Tickets:       Self guided tours $15, Docent led tours $25 (by reservation only)

$2 of every ticket in May goes to the Eureka Springs Art Council to support future art exhibits.

Built in 1891 by decorated Civil War veteran and mining industry businessman Curtis Wright, The Queen Anne Mansion was a modern marvel of the 19th century and a work of art. From the personal touches including mineral covered gables and limestone facing to the superb craftsmanship of hand carved stone and stained glass, The Queen Anne Mansion remains magnificent in scale and artful in details.

The Architecture

The Queen Anne exemplifies style inside and out. A wraparound porch, moon windows, an asymmetrical roofline, multiple shingle patterns and balconies all work to create a distinctive exterior while the interior showcases a skylight to illuminate the main staircase, massive pocket doors, intricate metalwork, and hand carved woodwork by German and Italian artisans.

The Collection

The Queen Anne Mansion is home to a private collection of 19th century decorative arts which include works by some of the most famous of their craft including works by John Henry Belter and J. & J. Meeks among others. Similar works can be viewed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Museum. The Queen Anne Mansion provides Mid-America’s most coveted access to such craftsmanship with intimate look at these works of art in their intended setting.

The Gallery

Intimate viewing of art is not restricted to 19th century works. The Queen Anne Mansion features a state-of-the-art gallery that will host rotating cultural exhibits throughout the year. The first such event, coinciding with May Festival of the Arts, is the First Annual Eureka Springs Invitational Art Show during the entire month of May. The show features accomplished artists living in Eureka Springs. The Queen Anne will donate a portion of museum ticket sales to benefit the Eureka Springs Art Council. Future cultural events planned for The Queen Anne Mansion include touring exhibits from respected cultural institutions like the Smithsonian.

The Lore

The Queen Anne Mansion has no shortage of stories from family, friends and remarkable feats. Tours introduce guests to the Wright family and some of their famous friends including Buffalo Bill and best selling early 20th century author, Harold Bell Wright while also recapturing the history of The Queen Anne Mansion’s move. (Originally built in Carthage, Missouri, The Queen Anne was dismantled, moved, and reassembled in the current location in the 1980’s.)

The Queen Anne Mansion House Museum is the first major attraction to open in Eureka Springs in over a decade and has been well received by the Eureka Springs community dedicated to the principals of preservation, accessibility to the works of the 19th Century and a commitment to the art and cultural community of travelers.

Here at the Bridgeford House Bed & Breakfast we plan on including the Queen Anne Mansion in a new tour package, along with the Crescent Ghost Tours and the new Underground Tours. Watch our website for that new package!

Warmest regards,

Jeff and Nadara (Sam) Feldman – and Sophie, too!

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Eureka Springs AR Secret Underground

February 28th, 2010 by Sam Feldman

Long awaited, it appears that the Eureka Springs Underground will finally be opening in March 2010. For those of you that have never visited Eureka Springs before – or maybe even for some of you that have – you may not know that we have a hidden level of tunnels, abandoned storefronts and passages under Main St. and Spring St.

The story goes that in the late 1800′s, when the town was growing by leaps and bounds and folks were cutting down the trees right and left, Main Street would flood with mud runoff every time it rained (and would eventually became known as “Mud Street”). The solution to this at the time was to build up the street one level, which created a whole level of shops underneath the current level of shops, which have been mostly abandoned all this time. One place you can see a good example of the stonework and beams that are underground is at the Mud St. Cafe, one of our favorite places in town to eat. It is located at the intersection of Main St. and Spring St. and has a plaque outside their entrance that tells of the building up of the street. It is one of very few places that is accessible. (Little known fact, there is also a very active creek that runs under Mud St. Cafe, the auditorium and the courthouse on that side – so it’s under the sub-basement, which is under the underground part, which is under the shops and restaurants…we go deep in Eureka Springs!)

On Upper Spring St., where Bridgeford House is located, you can see all along our side of the street the wall that currently holds up Spring St. We believe the street was built up even this far up on Spring St., which makes the layout of the Bridgeford House make more sense. Our garden is a full level below the street and the door that now opens into our dining room from that garden level we believe must have been the original front door to the original parlor (that dining room has one of only two original fireplaces and the other one is covered up). Our current front door is just a few steps up from the modern level of the street and opens up to our current parlor. Two of the five B&B guest rooms, which were the original bedrooms in the house, open up right off that parlor. We don’t believe the original front door would have been right near the bedrooms! Victorians were way too uptight for that!

Come to Eureka this season and take a tour of this brand-new Eureka-scape! We’ll make sure you get tickets!

Warmest regards,

Jeff and Nadara (Sam) – and Sophie, too!

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Shakespeare in the Ozarks

January 7th, 2010 by Sam Feldman

It is said that over 90 Shakespeare in the Park venues exist in the US but there has never been one in Arkansas until now. And what better place to do it than the European ambiance of Eureka Springs!

Its inaugural performance was “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in the Basin park in downtown Eureka in July of 2009. Since then it has been realized that a more permanent spot was needed and the dream was on.

On November 30, 2009, the Shakespeare in the Ozarks stage located in Harmon Park (just a short walk from the Bridgeford House) was officially dedicated. Located in the amphitheater where the old Summer Auditorium stood before it was demolished sometime around the time of the Great Depression, the new stage returns Harmon Park to its roots as an outdoor community gathering place for the performing arts.

The plan is to open Shakespeare in the Ozarks May, 2010, to coincide with Eureka’s May Festival of the Arts, with a production of Shakespeare’s first play, The Comedy of Errors. The production will celebrate Eureka Springs by transposing the action (keeping the story and language intact) to this city in its hey day, say about 1900. The play is expected to be performed three times a week, late afternoons Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

In time a permanent stage house will be built with seating and lighting for night time performances. The intention is to do one play the first year, (Comedy of Errors) and two the next year, Comedy of Errors and perhaps Taming of the Shrew, played on the same set. By the third year it is expected the plays will be performed at night, and hope to add one of the romances (maybe Tempest, Cymbeline, Winter’s Tale or Pericles) in addition to the comedies.

The scope of the project is limited only by the funding that can be raised but there is nothing like this anywhere else in the region and the hope is to draw Shakespeare lovers from surrounding states, for these highly professional and enjoyable performances.

And so:

“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages.”

Shakespeare, As You Like It

We hope to see you here.

Warmest regards,

Jeff and Nadara (Sam) – and Sophie, too!


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