TONTITOWN, Ark. — This year marks the 125th year of the Tontitown Grape Festival.
For this year's festivities, visitors have the opportunity to catch a carnival, stomp some grapes, or eat the famous spaghetti dinners until Saturday, Aug. 10.
The long-time tradition of spaghetti dinners stems from the late 1800s when the Italian settlers came together to celebrate their harvest and new home in Northwest Arkansas. The residents also invited outside communities, giving us the spaghetti dinner that we know and love today.
Now, folks from Tontitown and neighboring towns flock to the festival every year to get a taste of the delicious spaghetti.
For three days, members of St. Joseph's Catholic Church — which is also celebrating its 125th anniversary — will make enough homemade spaghetti to feed around 7,000 people for the festival this year. Spaghetti dinners cost $15 for adults and $10 for children 10 and under.
On this episode of Around the Corner, the 5NEWS morning crew had the chance to see how the famous dinners are made. They tasted the secret spaghetti sauce themselves. Unfortunately, Jo ended up hogging all the sauce from Tiffany and Zac.
After their taste tasting, the crew tried out some of the rides. Although Jo and Tiffany had a blast, Zac got stuck in the fun house.
Just like the 5NEWS crew, you can enjoy all the wonderful things the Grape Fest has to offer until Saturday.
Here's this weekend's schedule:
Friday, Aug. 9
- Museum open: 3 to 7 p.m.
- Arts & Crafts Fair: 3 to 10 p.m.
- Italian spaghetti dinners: 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.
- Carnival armband access: 5 to 11 p.m.
- Bingo: 6 p.m.
- Live entertainment from The Butler Creek Boys: 6 p.m.
- Coronation of 125th Queen Concordia: 8 p.m.
- Live entertainment from WESTERN SWING RULES BAND: 9 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 10
- Run for the Grapes 5K Walk/Run: 7 a.m.
- Run for the Grapes Kids Run: 8 a.m.
- Museum open: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Arts & Crafts Fair: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Live entertainment from The Abbey Pierce Band: Noon
- Live entertainment from Dirty Flannel Shirt: 2:30 p.m.
- Carnival armband access: Noon to 11 p.m.
- Italian spaghetti dinners: 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.
- Live entertainment from The Atlantics: 5 p.m.
- Bingo: 6 p.m.
- Live entertainment from King Chicken: 7 p.m.
- Live entertainment from JENNA & THE SOUL SHAKERS: 9 p.m.
- Grand prize giveaway by 2024 Queen Concordia: 11 p.m.
From from Around the Corner:
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