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Sweetheart Dinner celebrates love, food, fun
BY MARGO OXENDINE • STAFF WRITER
HOT SPRINGS - Rhett and Scarlett. Anthony and Cleopatra. Fred and Ethel. Peanut Butter and Jelly?
Now that you're thinking about famous pairs, think about celebrating Valentine's Day with your sweetheart. Get the week off to a delectable start this Sunday, Feb. 10, at the Sweetheart Dinner; it's in the Eden Church social hall, and starts promptly at 5 p.m.
This is no come-as-you-are, chow-down buffet, folks. It's a candlelit, sit-down dinner, with full service. And plenty more.
Couples are invited to come dressed as famous sweethearts. And yes, one couple has already mentioned peanut butter and jelly. Plenty of others will go the more traditional couple route, all in the name of fun and frolic. Costumes, though, are by no means necessary. For that matter, neither is a sweetheart.
"Singles are special," notes organizer Debbie Young. "You don't have to be half of a couple to come have a good time."
After dinner, which includes baked ham, barbecued chicken, mashed potatoes, cole slaw, those yummy Eden baked apples, rolls and dessert, there will be entertainment by local heartthrob Michael Sharp. If you've not heard and seen Sharp perform, you're in for a treat; and, you'll notice that, wherever he appears, his adoring entourage nudges their way to the front of the room.
Games and activities are on the menu, and not just for children (though they're welcome to come). These games are for grown-ups who don't mind getting a little silly, all in the name of fun.
"Last year, we picked eight couples from the audience and blindfolded them," Young recalls. "We put the men on one side of the room, and the ladies on the other. The men had to coo like doves, and the women had to find their mates. It was an absolute hoot. One lady wandered into the crowd, and ended up in several people's laps."
Also planned is the Eden church version of the Newlywed Game. "We call it "The Oldtimer's Game," laughs Young. There will also be activities to keep the children occupied. And treats and gifts for every single, couple and child.
So put on your thinking caps, dust off grandfather's fedora, or wash and iron grandma's shirtwaist dress (remember Ethel Mertz?). Then get yourselves to Eden church, on Route 687 south of Hot Springs, by 5 p.m. Sunday. There is a small charge for adults and children, but all the fun is free.
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