March 24th will mark the 22nd Annual Eureka Springs Kite Festival at Turpentine Creek in beautiful Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Here’s a fun video about one of Turpentine Creek’s residents and the kite festival itself:
By the way, that cute staff member is our youngest daughter, Jessica, who worked at Turpentine Creek for several years!
The Kite Festival is that Saturday, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. You’ll have plenty of time to fly kites, visit lions and tigers and bears – oh, my! and be back in the historic downtown in time for a lovely dinner at one of our many wonderful restaurants. We’ll be happy to give you some recommendations.
You can’t walk to Turpentine Creek from our place but, as many of you know, you can walk to just about anywhere else! So bring your kite – remember, March is supposed to be windy!
We know not everyone is lucky enough to live in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, but you can always see what’s going on! Check out Eureka’s live webcam site and see what’s happening downtown, what the weather’s like, if there’s a parade going on, and even what Beaver Lake looks like on that day.
Web Cam 1 is just down from the Basin Park area (near Spring and Main), Web Cam 2 is Spring St., right at Pendergrass corner (at the Eureka Grill, looking up towards the Post Office), Web Cam 3 is right at Spring and Center (looking at the Basin Park Hotel and the Flatiron Flats building), Web Cam 4 is beautiful Beaver Lake and Web Cam 5 is Spring St., at Pendergrass corner, looking the other way (away from the post office), past the New Orleans Hotel. Each Web Cam page has facts and figures, some features on some of our local musicians, Beaver Lake information, and some on the history of Eureka Springs.
Web Cam 3
So if you can’t make it here, never fear. You’re never too far away.
But we always look forward to visits from folks that stay here at the Bridgeford House Bed and Breakfast and remember, you can walk right down to any of these spots easily – or just stay right on our front porch and watch the world go by you!
Last year a wonderful show came to town. Intrigue Theater will make you doubt your common good sense. We are very excited that they will be coming back for spring break, March 16-31 and then returning for the whole summer on June 28th, right back into our own Victorian auditorium. You will travel back to an age of Intrigue during the Victorian era and witness an evening of incredible and mysterious demonstrations performed by an Illusionist and a Medium. The evening also features special guests from the other side.
Folks, we have seen this show and it is awesome! And it will make you wonder…
This is a wonderful portrayal of entertainment back in the Victorian age, complete with fabulous costumes and the vernacular of that particular age. But what is most exciting is the performance itself, which includes magical demonstrations, feats of astonishing mental capabilities, and elements of spiritualism, as observed and celebrated in the 19th century – spirits may make their presence known with whispered answers and unexplained phenomenon.
Sean-Paul actually rifled through Sam’s purse, pulling out object after object, while Juliana, blindfolded and up on stage quite a ways from where we were sitting, told him what each one of them was. How the heck did they do that?
Come see for yourself. Spring break is a wonderful time to visit Eureka Springs Arkansas and see that the ghosts really do have all the answers! Come stay with us and get discounted tickets to see this unique show (yep, you can walk there!).
Thanks to the “Krewe of Krazo” (that’s “Ozark” spelled backwards), there is truly a New Orleans-style Mardi Gras setting here in the beautiful Ozarks within the downtown area of Eureka Springs, AR. This event, in its seventh year, has grown phenomenally and is now deeply rooted in the Victorian town with our up and down and curly-Q streets. So if you’re looking for some good fun in the doldrums of wintertime – and always think Eureka is too quiet during the winter – check out the Mardi Gras schedule below:
Sunday, January 8: King’s Day Kickoff
Saturday, January 28: Christening the Floats
Saturday, February 11: Taste of N’Awlins
Thursday, February 16: Hookers & Jokers Ball
Friday, February 17: Coronation Ball
Saturday, February 18: Downtown Parade
Saturday, February 18: Costume Contests
Saturday, February 18: Beaux Art Ball
Sunday, February 19: Jazz Brunch
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, February 19, 20 & 21: ArtiGras
Monday, February 20: Artists Reception
Tuesday, February 21: Krazo 2nd Line Pub Crawl
Tuesday, February 21: St. ‘Lizbeth Cajun Ball
Most everything is within walking distance of us here at the Bridgeford House, so it won’t matter if you imbibe a little bit. So – Laissez les bon temps Rouler! (Let the good times roll!)
Right off the bat I can tell you my favorite item at DeVito’s Restaurant in downtown Eureka Springs and you’re going to laugh, but I’m not kidding…trout fingers! Bet you didn’t even know trout had fingers! Honestly, they are a wonderful appetizer of crispy, boneless strips of trout with a seasoned cornmeal coating and served with a smoky dill sauce – they are just awesome! Check their menu out for main dishes and you will find a huge variety of homemade Italian splendor, not the least of which is their trout dishes that they are famous for. Owner James DeVito continues a tradition begun by his family back in 1956 and the trout are served fresh from his family’s trout farm. Try this on for size: Pesto Trout Parmesan…or Lemon Trout…or Chargrilled Trout – okay, they’re all good. You get the point.
However, let’s not forget we are here for classic Italian – how about Spaghetti, Ravioli or Fettuccine? Start with that base and pick a sauce or meat to go on top: Pesto, meatballs, Italian sausage – how about fresh cream, butter and Parmesan cheese over your fettuccine? I think ’nuff said.
DeVito’s has a full bar, of course – and a huge selection of wines! This is a perfect place to bring someone special, order a lovely bottle of wine and propose to her right there. James and his lovely wife, Teresa, will take very good care of you. Then go put your new fiance on a carriage ride right through downtown Eureka Springs… well, you get the idea. DeVitos’ has a lovely intimate atmosphere for that kind of thing, plus, coming in 2012, they will add 4-story high rooftop dining overlooking East Mountain for some incredible views! So add that to your to-do list the next time you come to Eureka – hopefully visiting our Arkansas bed and breakfast here at the Bridgeford House. (You know how lonely our Mini Schnauzer, Sophie, gets for company.) And yes, of course you can walk to DeVito’s from here!
On your next visit to Eureka Springs, you must visit Quicksilver Art & Fine Craft Gallery. A store filled with the beautiful works of over 120 local, regional and nationally known artists, including artist made jewelry and unique art including one of a kind wall tapestries, wildlife watercolors, photographs, limited edition prints, pottery (rustic, hand-thrown pieces fired in a wood burning kiln, gold or platinum drenched porcelain and raku fired with Ostrich feathers) in a variety of shapes and glazes, and numerous works in wood and metal.
They also have a hands-on exhibit of beautiful musical instruments on the lower level – strumsticks, gongs and chimes, brass Tibetan singing bowls and the melodious sounding Freenotes, an offshoot of xylophones, are available to play. Open seven days a week, they have an incredible helpful and welcoming staff. They always have some of the best window displays as well! (Our favorite is always their unique Christmas displays.)
The Quicksilver Gallery is a member of the Eureka Springs Gallery Association, the 2nd Saturday Gallery Walk, and the Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce and is very involved in the tourism industry here in Eureka Springs. Check out their website for their Gallery News Blog.
And guess what? Yep – they’re a short walk from the Bridgeford House Bed & Breakfast! We told you we really do have the greatest location!
Well, I write this to the sights and sounds of all the great VW bugs and buses that have been in town all this past weekend. We had a blast watching them from our front porch with some great guests, who collected lots of candy and Mardi Gras beads! It made us start looking forward to the next car show, which is one of my favorites, the Antique Auto Festival – in its 41st year! Coming September 9 & 10th, it’s sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, and event details include hundreds of vintage classics competing for prizes and trophies. Includes a car show with the parade, which of course – goes right by our front porch! The 1922 Bank Robbery re-enactment follows directly after the antique car parade; re-creating the first time an automobile was used as a getaway vehicle in a bank robbery. That is always loads of fun and no bystanders have ever been shot yet {grin}.
The first weekend in October has the Carroll County Cruisers Open Car Show. And by far one of the most exciting is the Annual Corvette weekend, October 6-9, their 21st time in Eureka! Gorgeous ‘vettes will be everywhere, both new and restored. This show is so big they used to run the parade only at night time. Now you just get to see them all over town.
October 20-23 will see all the Mini-Coopers arriving. I love the minis – just the right size for Sophie to drive! Very colorful and of course, easy to drive around Eureka’s skinny and windy streets. Fall color should be hitting just right about that time.
So come enjoy the cars without the car maintenance bills! There’s always something going on in Eureka Springs, AR!
No, not that kind…VW bugs! And all other manner of Volkswagen vehicles – back again for their annual festival, for the 19th year! August 26, 27th and 28th, 2011 – you can sit right on our front porch and watch these colorful automobiles tootle by during their Saturday afternoon parade, as many as 300 of them right in front of you. Some of them are pretty outrageous (there is usually one that’s all dressed up like a frog). It’s one of the biggest car parades that Eureka has and also one of the most colorful!
There’s a Saturday show and swap meet, a Sunday Countryside Tourcade (and you know what our countryside looks like!) and a BBQ dinner, for those folks that register to be in the show. But for you wanna-bes, just come enjoy the bugs and buses for yourself, while shopping and dining and people-watching – it’s a great weekend to just get outside!
For many of you that come to Eureka Springs, you’ve probably already discovered and fallen in love with Vintage Cargo, a Euro-Vintage marketplace that has an eclectic array of fascinating home furnishings and objects d’art, as well as personal essentials, such as decorative accessories, kitchenware, lighting and miscellaneous gifts. Located right at the entrance to the upper part of the Historic Loop (across from the Inn of the Ozarks), it occupies a 4000 sq. ft. showroom. These showroom offerings are complimented by one of a kind antiques from many parts of Europe. They do have a great online store on their website, so that you can continue to shop for their ever-changing product selections when you can’t be in Eureka.
The staff at Vintage Cargo offer exceptional customer service, from complimentary gift wrap to a personal shopping service. It’s a great store and one that a lot of our guests make a point of visiting when they are staying with us. If you can’t find any great shopping in Eureka Springs, you’re just not trying!
One of the many fun things to do in Eureka Springs is ride the Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway. The collection of vintage rolling stock at ES&NA is one of the Ozarks’ largest, and all the authentic railroad memorabilia is there to re-create the turn-of-the-century era and give modern visitors a taste of how it was when rail service brought the first visitors to Eureka Springs in 1883. (Our original Murder Mystery story is based on the arrival of the railroad in Eureka Springs and it’s being offered to folks that want to come have a wildly fun weekend on August 26th & 27th.)
One of the nicest ways to experience this nostalgic 4-1/2 mile journey out in the beautiful Ozark mountains is to take either a lunch or dinner train. The lunch train departs at 12 noon, May through October, and gives you a main choice of beef stroganoff, chicken salad with fresh fruit, or a hot deli sandwich. The dinner train departs at 5:00 and gives you a main choice of baked chicken breast (“Chicken Eurekan”), Chef’s prime rib (“The Conductor”) or Rainbow Trout Almondine (“The City of New Orleans”). Great sides accompany both lunch and dinner – you do need to call ahead and make a reservation and let them know which choice you would like. The food is quite good and you eat while the train is chugging out into the woods – really makes you feel as if you have gone back in time! There is a special dessert that you have to see to believe.
The railroad’s season runs from April through October (with a limited schedule in April). Great time to come out and hop on is in the fall when the leaves are changing! Bring your camera.
We’re not far from the railroad here at the Bridgeford House B&B and we can hear the train whistle quite often. Now that brings back neat childhood memories!
