Congratulations to these Eurekans for a great 2024
Before crossing the threshold of 2025, I’d like to celebrate some big accomplishments by Eurekans this year.
Congratulations to Coltan Scrivner and his helpers for the wildly successful resurrection of the city’s iconic Zombie Crawl. It helped Eureka Springs land on Travel + Leisure magazine’s list of the top 5 haunted towns in the US, featured on a Today Show segment. And for taking it to the next level with Nightmare in the Ozarks, lauded by the New York Times as one of “5 Halloween Film Festivals Worth Traveling For.” Oh, and for Zumpty, too; why the hell not?
A huge round of applause to Edward Robison of White Phoenix Films, with the help of Jeremy McGraw of Global Image Creation, for their innovative promotional video Eureka Springs: A Culinary Landscape. They captured not only the “wow” of the city’s restaurants but also a silver Davey Award from the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts.
Speaking of the culinary scene, congratulations to new entrants making their mark: smashburgers-and-gelato stop Pauly’s, chicken sandwich joint Peckers, Irish-plus pub McGarity’s, Greek pastry indulgence Bag O’ Holes (in their trusty food truck, Glenda), and they-know-their-flan Mexican spot El Campo Azul.
Congratulations to the city government for picking up two first-prize Arkansas Trendsetter awards at January’s Arkansas Municipal League Awards Banquet. The city won for cities under 5,000 in both Education and Workforce Development and in Diversity and Inclusion.
Speaking of diversity, National Geographic’s first Out in The World: An LGBTGIA+ (And Friends!) Travel Guide to More Than 120 Destinations Around the World featured Eureka Springs in its “Small Towns with Big Pride” chapter.
Congratulations to the Museum of Eureka Springs Art for its grand opening in May. It bears testament to the longevity and diversity of the city’s creative culture.
Many local artists had successes of their own to celebrate, a notable one being John Rankine, who received the prestigious $25,000 Creative Impact Award from Artists 360.
Congratulations to the Eureka Springs Historical Museum for its grand reopening, complete with snazzy new displays.
Congratulations to Good Shepherd Humane Society for some well-deserved national recognition. Their mobile vet clinic received support from the Bissell Pet Foundation for more than 1,000 spay and neuter surgeries across northwest Arkansas. They also received ten thousand pounds of pet food from Royal Canin and a $5,000 grant from Miranda Lambert’s MuttNation.
And I’ll wrap it up by congratulating Eureka Christian Health Outreach (ECHO) for adding two more homes to ECHO Village, which offers low-cost – but high-quality – housing and the city’s only transient shelter.
None of us know what tomorrows may come, but these Eurekans made some yesterdays a little brighter.