Take 1 ounce of Ciroc pineapple vodka, 1 ounce of Ciroc coconut vodka, 1 ounce of pineapple juice, a splash of cherry juice or grenadine, shake ingredients in a martini shaker and strain into a chilled martini glass. What you've got is a "Corsica" -- and the beginning of the fifth annual Fleur Delicious Weekend. Declared a "celebration of all the senses," the festival -- now a week long -- started Wednesday with the Ciroc vodka bartenders' competition and continues through July 12 with restaurants, bars, art galleries, boutiques and music venues celebrating the art of the French-inspired indulgence.
Ilene Powell and Teresa Pelliccio DeVito co-founded the event. Here, Powell talks about how the idea grew up.
FYI
Fleur Delicious Weekend
Highlights
Tuesday — Guest Chefs’ samplings and Railway Winery sips, 5-7 p.m., Writer’s Colony at Dairy Hollow
Thursday — Cooking Demos with Chef Dustin of FRESH, Chef Jeff of The Grand Taverne and KJ of Caribe Restaurante y Cantina, 7 a.m.-noon, Eureka Springs Farmers Market
July 10 – Palette to Palate with Barbara Robinson, 6 P.M., Keels Creek Winery
July 11 — Cooking demo with Chef Dave Gilderson of Rogue’s Mano, 8-11:30 a.m., White Street Farmers Market
July 11 — Cookbook authors Sheila Reese, Casey Sams and Kim Duhamel, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Pine Mountain Village
July 11 — Spring Street Waiters’ Race, 3 p.m., Spring Street
July 11 — The Grand Bubbly Discovery Champagne Tasting, 4 p.m., The Grand Taverne
July 11 — Ultra Suede Dance Party, 5 p.m., Basin Spring Park
July 11 — Gallery Stroll, 6-9 p.m.
— Source: fleurdeliciousweeke…
Q. What inspired you to do it here?
A. When I first moved to Eureka Springs in March 2010, I overheard someone ask why all the parades in town were at times when service industry folks were working and therefore could never attend. That question stuck in my mind, but I didn't have a network of friends yet or know what all the events were here. I approached Teresa DeVito of DeVito's of Eureka Springs in March 2011 about doing a Waiters' Race, which led to a four-day fest our first year. The idea was to have an event that the service industry could participate in and get recognition for their hard work. Around the world, cities have Waiter's Races that fall on or near Bastille Day. That idea then just blossomed.
Q. What do you consider the highlight of the event?
A. Each year, we try to change up events to keep FDW fresh. We expanded to a seven-day fest in our second year, which added a bartender competition, again to keep with the original idea of giving back to the service industry workers and recognizing their hard work. Each year, we listen to our participating businesses and attendees to make sure we help create something new that appeals to all the senses.
Last year, we had sightings of the Marie Antoinettes all around town. The "Junes" Hegedus and Owen always bring their spirit and humor to the FDW events, and we expect to see them both in full regalia. A fun new idea this year is Crescent Moon Beads presenting "Let's Get Stemmed" all the days of FDW. People can decorate wine glass stems and then bring their FDW stemware to the various FDW tasting events around town. FDW is also an opportunity for chefs to showcase their creativity and cooking skills. The Eureka Springs Farmers Market has three cooking demos with Chef Dustin of FRESH, Chef Jeff of The Grand Taverne and KJ of Caribe Restaurante y Cantina on Thursda and the White St. Farmers Market will have Chef Dave Gilderson of Rogue's Manor doing a cooking demo on July 11.
Q. What are you most proud of with FDW?
A. We set out to create a new event in Eureka Springs with a goal of significant economic impact on the city. We hear each year that it is the best weekend of the year from many businesses. We put on an event that's free and open to the public, and what they are not paying at the gate with a ticket price, they're spending in restaurants, bars, hotels, gift shops and galleries. A lot of work goes into FDW, but we love it. In the end when the last sip of French wine is drunk and the last tasty morsel is eaten, we toast to another great year of celebrating what makes Eureka Springs special, and that is the spirit of this community and outpouring of love for FDW, which we never take for granted.
-- Becca Martin-Brown
NAN What's Up on 07/03/2015