Fifth Annual Community Garden Party to benefit East Parker County Library

Host Hot Tamale Antiques asks, “Can you have a party for 200 people with no trash can?”

  Love Books? Love Barbeque? Love Music? Love our planet? If that’s you, then get to the 5th Annual Community Garden Party to benefit the East Parker County Library on Sat. May 31. From 11am-2pm, enjoy games, readings, art, a festive lunch, pony rides, free flower gifts from Sun Crop Nursery and re-cycling demonstrations. In keeping with the re-use and re-cycle theme, Clear Fork Jazz bass player Bob Lewis promises that the much-loved group “will only play notes that have been played before.”

  Hosted by Hot Tamale Antiques, the party offers a festive lunch under the trees of the A.J. Hood pioneer home on Jenkins Road in Aledo. Activities are decidedly old-fashioned, such as horseshoes, dominoes, croquet, checkers and story readings for children. Take a picture of your child on a gentle Shetland pony with the pre-1860 cabin as a back drop. Rides in a pony cart, gallons of tea and lemonade, watermelon, BBQ from the Mesquite Pit and fabulous desserts from local eateries all make for a traditional start to the summer season.

  What will be new is that guests will use re-cycled content party products and will re-cycle them again afterwards. From nametags to napkins, the event’s sponsors have planned for 100% re-cycling with the help of ReCycle Aledo, Parker County Today Magazine and the Stuard Elementary Green Team. Paper goods with re-cycled content were also used in the invitations so that “we can keep our trees where they should be,” says sponsor Patrick Bettels, manager of Office Max-Weatherford.

  In keeping with the green theme, this year’s door prize will be a gift basket of earth-friendly products from Stuart Nursery. Artists Diane Brown, TK Riddle and Louise Brown will host a children’s art project with re-purposed materials. At the Garden Party participants will be able to tour the Hood Cabin, home of Hot Tamale Antiques, antiques being the greenest thing of all—plus they’ll all be 20% off for the day.

  Not only is the Garden Party a no-trash can event. It’s also a no-budget event. Over 150 local businesses and volunteers, such as Super Save, Brookshire’s, The Parson’s Table, R & K Cafe and Boo-Ray’s, offer their best gifts. Because of that, 100% of the ticket sales and other donations for the Garden Party will go directly to the East Parker County Library. Donations to the Library are tax-deductible.

  Wear your flower hat for the Garden Party’s Flower Hat Contest to be held at 1 pm. Grace Day Spa, Christopher Moore Salon and Los Vaqueros Restaurant will provide prizes for women, men, children. Additional flowers will be coming from Aledo Florist and Willow Park Flowers and Gifts.

  This year’s party will offer a book sale for your summer reading. Library Director Barbara Clinton and retired librarian Anita Bond have selected donated books for all ages and many genres. You will also be able to sign up for the children’s summer reading program at the East Parker County Library. Located in Old Aledo on FM 1187, the Library serves the towns of the Annettas, Aledo, Hudson Oaks and Willow Park, for a total of 25,000 residents in the eastern part of Parker County.

  “We are trying to create a fun, relaxed day for the community and a results-producing day for the library,” said one of the event’s sponsors, Pam Benson of the Japanese Palace Restaurant. The other sponsors are McDonald’s-Willow Park, Bryant Grain-Aledo, Parker County Today Magazine, Office Max- Weatherford, Graphic Source and The Community News.

  Cost for Garden Party is $15 per adult, $5 for children 12 and under and a Family Special of $35 per household. The event is free for graduating High School seniors. Additional tax-deductible gifts for the library are also encouraged. The event will be held rain, heat or shine, with additional indoor tables at the same location. Parking in the pastures on Jenkins Road will be coordinated once again by the members of Faith Presbyterian Church. To attend the Garden Party, download the 2008 Garden Party Flier or contact Hot Tamale Antiques at 817-291-3952 or JanOH4@aol.com