Dinner at the Vines Supports Arkansas 4-H
The C.A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center is setting the tables for its third annual Dinner at the Vines on Tuesday, Sept. 26. The evening provides learning opportunities, highlights the campus and showcases Arkansas produce and products — all while raising funds for Arkansas 4-H.
Tracy Courage, director of communications for the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, says the event celebrates the unique features the Vines Center has to offer.
“Hundreds of Arkansas 4-H members attend camps at the center, but the center is actually used year-round for corporate retreats, leadership and team-building activities and other meetings,” Courage says. “With 94 rooms, a fully staffed kitchen and meeting spaces with Zoom capabilities, we can accommodate large groups.”
The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas are honored to sponsor this event for the third year.
Director of Corporate Communications Rob Roedel says, “The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas are longtime supporters of Arkansas 4-H and the wonderful programs that the organization offers for the future leaders of Arkansas. The Dinner at the Vines event is quickly becoming one of the premier ‘must-attend’ events in Arkansas.”
The evening begins with a special cocktail hour in the Pulaski County Master Gardener demonstration garden, just downhill from the center’s hub. Guests are invited to sample signature beverages and locally sourced hors d’oeuvres while chatting with the gardeners and learning about flowers, fruit and bees. It’s followed by an Arkansas-centric dinner, served beside the lake under the night sky, with music from 4-H alumni members, The Kordsmeier Family.
An auction also provides a lot of entertainment, with prizes that include weekend getaways, Arkansas Razorback tickets, a dinner for 20, sporting equipment and so much more. There’s even a Bigfoot-themed barn quilt and a weekend stay at the Vines Center during the 2024 solar eclipse among the items up for bid.
This year’s soirée includes a new facet — a dessert auction with sweets provided by local chefs.
“Last year’s proceeds provided funds to add a pavilion on-site that will provide a shady and protected area for 4-H youth to be outside,” Courage says. “Construction is in progress, but the weather hasn’t cooperated, so we’re hoping it will be complete in time for our guests to see our progress.”
Tickets are available at the Arkansas 4-H Foundation website. Tickets are $125 each or $700 for a table of 6. If you cannot attend, you can still help by bidding on many items that will be available online the week before the event.