Newport Chamber December Events Scheduled
Mark your calendar for the annual Retail Merchants Holiday Open House on Tuesday, Dec. 11. Enjoy extended shopping hours, one-day-only deals, refreshments and discounts at the following locations:
Get surprise one-day-only specials at 2 Chicks Nursery from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m.
Stop and shop at all of the booths at Charee’s Emporium from Noon until 6 p.m. Enjoy refreshments plus, gift wrapping for purchases made at the Pink Poodle booth.
Darling’s Fine Things welcomes the G. Spinelli Trunk Show plus door prizes from 2 to 7 p.m.
Buy one, get one free vitamin, plus refreshments and door prize give away at iCare RX Pharmacy from 2 to 6:30 p.m.
Enjoy the annual “Taste of Christmas” with samples of holiday gourmet food items at Purdy’s Flowers & Gifts from 2 until 7 p.m. New this year – Holiday Upcycled Glass Creations design class with local artist Julie Reardon at 6 p.m. Reservations must be made by calling 523-5872. Cost is $50 for 10×10 and $60 for 10×20.
Get 10% off during the Open House at Tickled Pink Boutique inside Harris Medical Center from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. Enjoy food samples and taste testings.
The Newport Christmas parade will be Thursday, Dec. 13 at 6 p.m. The parade committee is seeking floats, antique vehicles, beauty queens, horseback riders, etc. from school groups, area clubs or businesses. Participants will be traveling down Hwy. 69 to Malcolm Avenue then down to Village Mall parking lot. Plaques will be awarded for first, second and third place for both the commercial and non-commercial categories. Entry is free, and participants may choose their own holiday theme. However, since the real Santa will be flying in early as the last entry in the parade, please do not incorporate a “fake” Santa into your float. Float judging will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. In the event of inclement weather, parade participants will be notified of an alternate date. For an entry form, go to www.newportarchamber.org or call 523-3618.
Saturday, December 15, Jacksonport State Park will have a Victorian-Style Christmas Ornament Workshop from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00p.m. The admission fee is $7.50 per person to cover supplies. Included this year are: Victorian Card Ornaments, Felt Cardinal Ornaments, and Christmas Stockings to hang on the mantle. Advance reservations are required by 3:00 p.m. December 13th. Participants will meet at the new Visitor Information Center and the workshop will be held inside the Courthouse in the upstairs courtroom. Call (870)523-2143 to make reservations.
Cathy Drew is a lifelong resident of the region that she loves to promote. She was born in downtown Batesville in the late ’60s, located in one of the eight counties she now enjoys encouraging people to visit.
Drew became associated with the Ozark Gateway Region in 1990 while working at the ad agency (The Media Market Inc.). The agency handled marketing for the regional association, where she and her co-workers produced an annual tabloid publication. She began working as the Ozark Gateway Region director in June 2000.
After Drew became director, she took the region to the next level by helping the tourism organization create a new website and moved it from the old newspaper paper tabloid publication to a color magazine format. She helped open a visitor center for the Ozark Gateway, allowing visitors to pick up information from the entire state 24/7. Over the years, Drew has helped the organization meet new marketing goals, such as in- and out-of-state marketing, assuring that all 100,000 copies of their magazines are distributed each year.
In 2016, she assisted in creating the first Ozark Gateway Region Golf Classic. The tournament continues to grow each year, allowing the organization to expand its co-op program and helping each county have dedicated promotion. Drew stays busy at Ozark Gateway as the ad sales manager, magazine editor, day-to-day office operations, trade show representative, and magazine distribution representative, all while ensuring that the region is represented all over Arkansas and southern Missouri.
Drew was featured in several local and statewide publications over the years, as well as the 1997 cover of the Ozark Gateway Region tabloid, along with her then 4-year-old son, Jon. She has received several awards, such as the Batesville Rotarian of the Year in 2010 and a three-time Paul Harris Fellow.
She also has served as an Independence County election commissioner for several years. She now serves as their co-election coordinator, helping with behind-the-scenes management of voting equipment, day-to-day election deadlines, and poll worker training.
Drew is Batesville Rotary Club Past President, and is the Rotary Clubs’ current membership chair.
In March of 2018, Drew was honored with induction into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame for her many years of dedicated service to the tourism industry.