Residents in Tontitown kicked off one of their community’s oldest traditions Tuesday, the annual Tontitown Grape Festival.
It’s the 114th year for the event which runs until Saturday, Aug. 11.
From carousels and Ferris Wheels, to arts and crafts, the event is about much more than the famous spaghetti dinners that will be served up beginning Thursday.
The proceeds from this festival go to Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church and are also used in the community. The dinners, along with live music and grape stomps, keep people coming back year after year, organizers say.
"A lot of times the people that were born in Tontitown and have moved off, come back for the festival, for us it's kind of like a family reunion but there are people who come and see us," said Eric Pellin, the event’s co-chairman.
Dinners of spaghetti, salad, rolls and fried chicken will be served Thursday-Friday, from 4:30-8:30 p.m. Dinner tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for kids.
Organizers say they have been cooking for several days and expect to feed about 6,500 people during the event.