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This is the first CRAZY DAYS event and it is HOT! HOT! HOT! 

Some merchants are selling select products at cost.  Others have some giveaways or other fun surprises.  Winnsboro has a very compact downtown, so it’s easy to stroll from one participating merchant to another.  CRAZY DAZE runs from Thursday-Saturday, June 17-19.

3^rd Friday means there will be artists selling their pieces from their booths outside the historic Depot.  You never know whether there will be paintings, sculpture, jewelry or performance art.  3^rd Friday is on Friday and Saturday.

Some of the merchants have gotten together and created something that is part performance art and part CRAZY DAZE to add some zip to the event.  It’s called the Winnsboro Merchants Shopping Cart Drill Team.  And it’s hilarious fun to watch.  There’s a video on the Art & Espresso facebook page.

Winnsboro Center for the Arts typically ties in with a special art-related event as well.

While the women indulge in a shopping frenzy, the men can relax at Art and Espresso, the coffee shop that’s the social center of downtown.  Or they can settle into the cool of Brewbaker’s Pub where they can watch televised sports.  There are also great Ribs and BBQ at CiboBQ for lunch.  Plan to have dinner at Double C Steakhouse or Cibo Vino Italian Restaurant.

3^rd Friday and CRAZE DAZE is planned as a monthly event year-round.  If you sign up for the free Weekend Planner at the site, you will also receive the monthly mailing that details the CRAZY DAZE offers.

Say what you will about the economy, but in Winnsboro, there are four new businesses that clearly believe the best is yet to come.


Rick Murray in front of
the massive doors of the "pit."

In January, Rick Murray, best known as a top chef and owner of Cibo Vino's, opened ciboBQ in the location previously occupied by Lou Viney. This restaurant is devoted to the fine art of traditional Texas BBQ with slow cooked brisket, pork shoulder, ribs, sausange and red hot links.

The meat is cooked over hickory and red oak in the room-size "pit". Sides are kept to the basics that say, "This is the real deal." Potato salad, coleslaw, beans and peach cobbler.

ciboBQ
111 E. Broadway (Hwy 11)
Winnsboro, TX
903-342-0028
www.cibobq.com



Try your favorites at the new
Chinese & Asian restaurant,
Oriental House

The Oriental House brought more than Chinese food to town. Their buffet features Thai and other specialties as well. Plus, it's one of the very few eateries that's open 7 days a week, 11:00 am - 8:00pm.

The food is fresh and flavorful and the prices are family friendly. Lunches start at $4.99. The lunch buffet is $6.95. The dinner buffet is Monday-Friday starting at 5:00 pm and all-day Saturday and Sunday for $7.95. Discounts for children and seniors are available.

Testimony to the popularity of the new restaurant, the parking lot is jammed at lunch and dinner. Arrive slightly after lunch or before the dinner rush and you're more likely to find more room in the parking lot and in the dining rooms.

Oriental House
907 S. Main St. (Hwy 37)
Winnsboro, TX
903-347-1203




Winnsboro Emporium is a new retail shop owned by Conrad Wolfman, best known for being a professional videographer. Conrad is a collector of art and books. His shop is a reflection of his many interests. It's the type of quirky store you can't wait to visit again just to see what's new. Consignment goods. Local talent. Conrad says maybe even some live music.

Convenient shopping hours: Monday-Friday 11:30 pm - 8:00 pm; Saturday 10:00 am- 8:00 pm. Find Winnsboro Emporium on fecebook.com. The plan is to have an Open House on March 13 and be open for business on March 15.

Winnsboro Emporium
316. N. Main St.
Winnsboro, TX
903-342-6140


Just off Main Street, Kellye Hubbell Interiors has opened shop in the building more recently occupied by Frosting! Kellye has experience in both residential and commercial interior planning and design. She's happy to help you with a single room, and entire house (in the city or at one of the nearby lakes), an office or entire office complex.

In addition, Kellye offers a selection of accessories and gift items.

Kellye Hubbell Interiors
108 E. Elm St.
Winnsboro, TX
903-342-0894
www.KellyeHubbellInteriors.com

Cheryl Ford, President of the Main Street Partnership, sent a wrap up of the successful 2nd Annual Progressive Dinner held on February 2, with almost 100 guests in attendance.

The event started with appetizers being served at businesses in the historic Main Street district. Strolling from one store to the another, guests enjoyed a short walking tour of the downtown area.

The 12 participating businesses included the Antiques Mall and Jans Antiques, State Farm, Hornbuckle Flowers & Gift, Flowerland, CopperLeaf Spa, Ladles to Linens, Preston Morton, Bell's Pharmacy, Art and Espresso, Tickled Pink and Redneck Ranch.

Dinner was served at Cibo Vino's, Double C Steakhouse and Brewbaker's Pub. Guests gathered at Crossroads for dessert, light music and videos. Desserts were provided by Art and Espresso, Frosting! and Creative Cakes.

By all reports, the guests enjoyed the chance to visit shops they hadn't been in previously and enjoy a night out that was a change of pace in the middle of winter.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010



Here's a perfect antidote to the mid-winter blahs: The Progressive Dinner presented by the Main Street Partnership.

This year, Double C Steakhouse, Brewbaker's Restaurant & Pub and Cibo Vino's will be the venues for the dinner itself. Before dinner, you'll enjoy appetizers at participating downtown stores. This is a terrific "excuse" to visit some of the shops you may never have been in before. After dinner, dessert will be served at Crossroads.

Last year, the sold-out event received rave reviews. You'll want to get your tickets - $30 per person - quickly.

Here's a peek at the menu items:

Brewbaker's Reastaurant & Pub - your choice of Roast beef tenderloin with mashed potatoes, vegetable and side salad or Tilapia with mango salsa, rice, vegetable and side salad.

Double C Steakhouse - their famous 8 oz. Flat Iron Steak Dinner

Cibo Vino's - your choice of Lemon Chicken Piccata with Angel Hair Pasta or Lasagna Red.

Tickets get snapped up fast, so get yours as soon as possible at CopperLeaf Spa, Art & Espresso or the Chamber of Commerce at the depot.

Appetizers will be served from 4:30-6:30 pm at the participating merchants , dinner from 6:30-8:00 pm. Dessert, provided by Frosting!, Creative Cakes and Art & Espresso, will be served at Crossroads from 7:30 pm-9:00 pm . You'll get a map of participating merchants with your tickets.

More details here. . .

Yesterday made the launch all official-like. We were surprised at the number of people who showed up at our little "do" which Stephen Marshall graciously hosted at Crossroads.

We were glad to see board members from the Winnsboro Economic Development Corp. on hand - Joe Dan Coe, Pat Patrick, Gayle Gearner, Ronny Knight and Mayor Carolyn Jones. Without the WEDC, this project would not have made it online.

Most of the Main Street board was on hand, although two board members were unable to come due to schedule conflicts and one was busy getting ready for the dinner rush hour over at Double C Steakhouse.

Lynn Adler and Lindy Hearne - better known as just Adler and Hearne - had just arrived back from their summer tour.

In a bit of serendipity, they were on hand as the group gathered for the ribbon cutting watched the music video Stephen had created for the site using their song as the soundtrack.

As the one who championed the idea of a visitor friendly site that would also serve as information central for the local population, it was my privilege to give the guests a tour of the site.

We projected the site from my laptop to the new screen recently installed at the Crossroads for film nights.

Afterwards, we did the ceremonial cutting of the ribbon.

In the photo below, left to right:

Cheryl Ford, president of Main Street;

Shane Shepard, our incredibly resourceful Main Street/Community Development Director;

board member Phyllis Martin, who heads up the Promotion Committee;

Anita Williams, that's me, with the laptop displaying the home page;

Mayor Carolyn Jones, the hardest working mayor in East Texas I reckon;

Mary Smith, owner of the Winnsboro Gallery;

and Larry Wright, president of the Winnsboro Chamber of Commerce.

If I can beg or borrow a couple more pictures from those who had cameras in hand, I'll post them here.

The new city-wide web site is live. If you’re visiting the site in early August, 2009, you’re among the first to see the result.

A site of this scope is fairly uncommon for a town the size of Winnsboro.

However, this area is a weekend getaway haven for fisherpersons, music lovers, artists, and over-stressed city folk who need some fresh air and a little time to unkink their brains.

What you see on the site today is only the beginning. We will be adding businesses and attractions as we move forward to make it even more interesting.

Plus, we’ll be reporting on events on the blog. My name is Anita Williams and I'm the editor of the site.

However, you will also see posts from local guest bloggers to give you the inside scoop on the area, events, culture and lifestyle of Winnsboro.

If you’re a visitor or someone scouting for a place to retire, we make it easy to keep up with music concerts and other events.

When I was a weekend resident myself, we routinely learned about fun events about a week too late.

If you sign up for your complimentary Guest Pass, that won’t ever be a problem for you. You'll get the information you need in time to make plans.

Better yet, you’ll receive special offers from local businesses to make each visit a little more fun and more economical.

It’s just our way of letting you know the welcome mat is always out for you.

So take a quick spin around the site. Sign up for your Guest Pass. Come on out and put your feet up. We’ll be waiting for you.