Yes, it’s tim for the fifth annual Sculpture Party and Fall Fest at The Bernice Garden at 1401 S. Main St. in the ever-changing SoMa district downtown.
From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., the Garden will be filled with friends, fun, fine art and music – all free and open to the public. The party celebrates the 2013 sculptures, the Arkansas artists who created them, the neighborhood itself and the strong, eclectic feeling of community it has developed.
Guests can groove to the sounds of Ryk St. Vincent and the Package while oohing over the sculptures and the natural beauty of the garden. No worries about coming alone – everyone finds a friend at the garden.
Flavia Smith locks on one of her Wish Locks at the Sept. 15 Bernice Garden Farmers’ Market.
We’re ever-so-excited and hope you are, too – and that you can join us to celebrate from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the garden.
Another thing we’re celebrating is that Sunday, Sept. 15, was the day The Bernice Garden Farmers’ Market began accepting SNAP cards. The addition of an EBT machine will help the 30 percent of adults and 46.5 percent of children under 18 in the Quapaw Quarter/Central High neighborhood who live below the poverty level, a statistic that exceeds statewide averages.
The machine also allows people to use their debit or credit cards to purchase tokens, which can be used to purchase foods from vendors. Vendors who receive the tokens, submit their totals at the end of the day and are reimbursed by check.
The simple and painless system was made possible by a $1,225 grant to purchase an EBT machine, tokens and promotional signage at the market.
The grant application was made with the help of downtown North Little Rock resident and Arkansas Coalition for Obesity Prevention (ArCOP) member Joseph Brajcki (a designer and maker of furniture in his day job), Ward 1 City Director Erma Hendrix, and The Bernice Garden’s fiscal nonprofit sponsor, the Dunbar Community Garden Project.
Hooray! We’ve got tokens – and more accessibility for all.