Pulse THE POLK COUNTY
FREE WEEKLY 1168 Hwy 71 S Mena, AR 71953 479.243.9600
April 12, 2023
Your DAILY News Sources: KENA 104.1 FM & MyPulseNews.com
Inaugural Shady Mountain Beer Fest draws a crowd
INSIDE:
By Ethan Nahté
Eclipse Town Hall Meeting
Page 7
Easter Weekend Review
Pages 12-14
The Shady Mountain Beer Fest was an event held on Saturday many people in this area thought they would never see in their lifetime. That goes for those who are opposed to alcohol being legally sold in Polk County as well as for those who are for alcohol being available. The event was not an invitation for a drunken Bacchanal, but an opportunity for people to try something different in addition to a night full of food and entertainment, for drinkers and non-drinkers alike. Jason Jalihal is the brand manager and sales rep with Flyway Brewing. In business since 2015, the North Little Rock company has been in business since 2015. Jalihal was familiar with this part of Arkansas being dry for several decades. When asked if he thought Polk County would finally be selling beer, outside of the few select private clubs and restaurants, he said, “No, I did not. This is a cool thing going on here. I knew from the people at The Ouachitas that it’s been slowly coming along. Flyway is one of the seven breweries at the inaugural event. A few other were invited but had to cancel at the last minute. The other breweries were either from central or north-
Uneggspected
By Ariel Varner and Ethan Nahté
Down Syndrome Fundraiser
Page 16
The second golden Easter egg in the Pulse Golden Easter Egg Hunt was hidden and the clues made available at our sponsors the morning of April 4. By late morning or early afternoon, many people were calling, messaging or coming by the Pulse Multi-Media office, inquiring if the egg had either been found or possibly blown away by
BIG!
SAVE
west Arkansas. Unfortunately, time and space do not allow for the interviews to be included, but they included Lost Forty Brewing, Gotahold Brewing, Bentonville Brewing, Social Project Brewing, Natural State Beer Company, and The Ouachitas, of course. The music and hanging out at The Ouachitas was all free, like any other time the Entertainment District has had events. Of course, there was a charge for food and any type of drink, from coffee to beer, but that’s the norm. The beer garden, on the other hand, had a $20 entry fee for those interest- The first Shady Mountain Beer Fest has a growing line wait(Ethan Nahté/Pulse) ed in sampling the beers. There was ing to enter the beer garden. a $5 charge for non-drinking entrants. to somewhat cleanse the cup and help prevent Each company had at least two or three craft an odd mixture of flavors. The free bottles of beers available for sampling, while others had water also helped to cleanse the palate bea half-dozen or so. The beers ranged from tween beer varieties, similar to wine tasting, pales to IPAs, fruity to stouts. There was a little although there’s no spitting into a spittoon. something for everyone. The Ouachitas owner Derek Campbell After paying the drink sampling fee, visitors explained how Mena’s first Beer Fest came received either a VIP lanyard or a wristband, about. “A lot of it was just centered trying to letting the vendors know that a person has paid get the county wet, in celebration of that. We and also was of legal drinking age. got a lot of beer festivals throughout the state They also received small collector’s cups for the event. The beer samples were poured into See BEER FEST the cup, with it being rinsed after each tasting
the day’s strengthening winds. No one had claimed the egg via e-mail or phone, or turned the egg in. There were hints on both the Pulse and Mena Radio Facebook pages that the golden prize might have been discovered, but no confirmation. By mid-afternoon, the office received a couple of phone calls stating that lots of people were looking in the same area, and a note had been discovered
continued on page 9
in the hollow of a tree that the egg had been found. Still, there was no official confirmation. There were also a couple of comments of finding a snake… not necessarily in the tree, but the general area people were hunting.
See SURPRISE continued on page 4
THRIFTY THURSDAY
WITH THURSDAY MORNINGS ON KENA 104.1FM
CALLS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER 7:45AM