By Tracy Courage
U of A System Division of Agriculture

Fast Facts:

• Event includes locally sourced dinner, garden tours, live and silent auctions, entertainment

• Proceeds support Arkansas 4-H youth programs

• Tickets available at www.arkansas4hfoundation.org

LITTLE ROCK — The C.A. Vines Center and the Arkansas 4-H Foundation will host the second annual Dinner at the Vines event Tuesday, Sept. 27, at the C.A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center — complete with garden party, lakeside dinner, silent and live auctions and entertainment.

DINNER AT THE VINES — The annual Arkansas 4-H Foundation fundraiser will be Sept. 27.  (Graphic by Julie Thompson, U of A System Division of Agriculture)

Proceeds benefit Arkansas 4-H, the state’s largest youth development program, offered through the Cooperative Extension Service, part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. Arkansas 4-H serves every county in Arkansas and reaches more than 300,000 youth annually through programming and scholarships opportunities.

“We hope Dinner at the Vines will become our signature fundraising event for the Arkansas 4-H Foundation,” John Thomas, the foundation’s managing director, said. “This is also a great opportunity for people to come and see what this beautiful place is all about and what a great treasure the center is for our state.”

The event begins at 5 p.m. at the Arkansas 4-H Center, located at 1 Four H Way in Little Rock. Tickets are $125 each, or $700 for a table for six. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.arkansas4hfoundation.org/

“We have a great evening planned that not only showcases our beautiful Arkansas 4-H Center, but also the talents of many in the extension family,” said Judy Riley, a retired extension agent who chairs the event. “Family and consumer science agents are locally sourcing many of the menu’s ingredients for a farm-to-table experience. Our agricultural agents are growing the flowers and vegetables that will become the centerpieces, and our Master Gardeners are hard at work readying the gardens for show. We hope that people will not only come out to support Arkansas 4-H, but also to truly enjoy themselves.”

The event kicks off at 5 p.m. with appetizers and libations in the center’s teaching garden. Master Gardeners, who maintain the garden, will provide tours and answer questions about the native plants and in the garden.

Dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. lakeside, near the center’s rose garden, and will feature locally sourced and seasonal foods. Kordsmeier Music, a music group comprised of former 4-H members, will provide entertainment.

Numerous items will be up for grabs in the silent and live auctions, including a five-night condo stay in Orange Beach, Alabama, Razorback football tickets, sporting good equipment and memorabilia, art and collectibles, jewelry and several culinary experiences. The silent auction will open the week before the event.

The Dinner at the Vines event is for adults aged 21 and older.

To learn about the Arkansas 4-H Foundation and how to support Arkansas 4-H, visit https://www.arkansas4hfoundation.org/.

For information about 4-H opportunities and other extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

About the Division of Agriculture

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system. 

The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.  

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

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