CALICO ROCK HOSTING SPRING CRAFT SHOW
The Calico Rock Spring Craft Show will be on April 25-26 and will include many local artisans
with handcrafted products for sale, just in time for Mother’s Day. The craft show will be held in
The Nook which is located at 84 Peppersauce Alley in Calico Rock.
Some of these talented artisans, who are fully prepared with perfect gifts for honoring
Moms, include, but are not limited to: Bill Gartung with Adirondack chairs, wooden plaques,
wooden pens and rolling pens; Shelley Huth with mosaic stained glass; David Hanson with
pottery, cacti and succulents; Tammi Sweares with plastic canvas journal covers, keychains,
bookmarks, crosses, plaques and magnets; Roger and Marolyn Bigalke with wood crafts and
hand sewn items; Nancy Ivey with jelly, soaps, salves, lip balm, natural bug spray, painted boxes
and soap pillows; Loretta Shannon with jelly, honey, infused honey, seasonings, freeze dried
snacks and canned goods; Dian Potter of Dian’s Ozark Quilts with quilts, aprons and other sewn
kitchen accessories and sourdough starter; and several others.
These artisans are eager to have their work see by a wide audience and warmly welcome you to
the event. While shopping the craft show, visitors can also enjoy shopping at the Calico Rock
Artisan Cooperative Gift Shop, take a free tour of the Calico Rock Museum, have lunch at the
Printing Press Café, and shop the many shops along Main Street.
For artisans who are interested in joining the show, there are limited spaces still available. To
reserve your space, call (870) 291-6100 or to gain further information. The show will be open
rain or shine 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday with free admission.
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.